Konoha no Yoko: The Chuunin Exams
by Azteka
Summary: His Heart Song…  Naruto quietly whispered, still shivering./Instinctively Ka'a wrapped his warm, many-tails around his Kit to ward off the sense of dread that seemed to grip the young houshi./ What troubles you, my Beautiful One? / It's… silent…
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Disclaimer: _

_Naruto is a trademark of Shonen Jump Graphic Novels and Viz Media. The characters and storyline belong to Masashi Kishimoto. _

_And before I continue with the next installment of Konoha no Yoko, I would like to thank all my readers for their reviews, and I hope that they take renewed interest in my next piece and future Naruto pieces. Please, read and enjoy my version of "Naruto", and remember constructive criticism is greatly appreciated._

_-Azteka_

_**~Prologue~**_

It took Team Seven several days to return to their village of Konoha. It was a long journey and a great success for all of them. They had faced enemies and made friends. They shared experiences that no one would understand since they were not there, and they had gained new wisdom from those experiences. And now… they were _home_.

As cliché as the saying went, it still held much truth for the road-wary travelers… There was no place like _home_! And the closer the team was to their village gates, the more Naruto and Sakura were found talking about what they would do first when they got home. Sakura confessed that she would hug her parents then take an hour long hot bath, and when asked, Naruto too confessed that he would hug his otousan before sitting down to a giant bowl of ramen.

"Otousan?" Sakura repeated.

"Hai, Iruka-sensei adopted me after graduation." Naruto stated. It was not the whole truth, but it was close enough. Naruto knew that the Council of Elders would _never_ permit Iruka to legally adopt Naruto, but his littermate did not need to know that. Iruka was still his father, with or without some piece of paper telling him so.

"Wow! That's great news, Naruto!" Sakura cheered as she gave her otouto a bear hug, eliciting a happy yip from the petite blonde.

As the two celebrated the good news, they were completely oblivious to two sets of disquieted looks. One held a mildly hidden glower that another had dared to lay claim on his blonde while the other paled at the realization of the true meaning behind the school teacher's threats as that of a protective father. However, before the two troubled shinobi could further bemoan their lot, the great gates of Konoha came into view, which was accompanied by twin cheers of joy as Sakura and Naruto began a friendly race to the village gates.

Kakashi found himself quietly chuckling at himself over his blonde's antics. It was a nice change from all the sober events that had accrued at the Land of Waves, and he was greatly pleased to see that the tragic deaths of Haku and Zabuza had not destroyed the blonde's gentle soul. Instead it made the blonde stronger.

Slowly the silver-haired Jounin approached his two students, who were mock-arguing on who was the winner when Kakashi heard the not-so-subtle slur against his favorite student.

"Fuck the demon lives." One of the gate sentries grumbled as he spat toward Naruto's direction; however, instead of hitting the petite blonde as intended, Kakashi became the victim as he mysteriously appeared in front of the little blonde.

Suddenly the gate sentries became deathly quiet while the young shinobi teens watched with huge eyes in horror at the blatant disrespect toward a senior shinobi.

Instinctively Sakura clutched onto her otouto as she realized that the guards were talking about the blonde with the same malice as her parents had. She could not understand why anyone would want to hate the small blonde, but she was bound and determined to protect her little brother, even from her own family.

Slowly Sasuke's shock was replaced with anger, which reflected dangerously in his Sharingan red orbs. He glared at the offending oaf that dared to stain his property. However, the moron was oblivious to the threat that the Uchiha posed since he was concentrating on the extremely pissed off ex-ANBU shinobi in front of him, but the other sentries were not blind. They saw the tale-tell marks of the Mirror Eye in the last surviving Uchiha and were about to congratulate the raven-haired teen when they were made silent by the icy cold tone of the silver-haired Jounin.

"Don't you have your posts to man." Kakashi coldly stated which effectively scattered the sentries back to their posts without delay.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto's small voice easily melted the older shinobi's hard expression as he turned around to face the petite blonde.

Naruto then gave his sensei a small, shy smile of gratitude. The blonde knew well enough of his village's disdain for him, and he also knew that he might never gain the approval of his people, but it did lift his heart to know that he had the support of Sakura-neechan and Kakashi-sensei. The petite Nin knew that his sensei had purposively stood in the life of fire, sort of speak, and he was truly grateful for it. Naruto stepped out of Sakura's protective embrace as he pulled out a tissue from one of the many cargo pockets and very tentatively cleaned the offending spittle from his sensei's vest. With another shy smile, the young houshi looked up at his sensei, unaware of the slight rogue kissing his own cheeks.

Kakashi, however, was having a more difficult time trying to calm his emotions. When he saw that sweet timid smile of the blonde's, Kakashi felt his heart both skip a beat and sped up. He had never seen such an innocent smile before, and of course, those sparkling seraphim blue gems told the elder Nin that the petite blonde knew the truth. It was such a simple gesture on both their parts, but to Kakashi, it felt as if he had just defeated an evil wyrm and won a fair maiden's hand. The Jounin felt as if he could battle a hundred Zabuzas just to see another one of those sweet smiles. And as if Kami was smiling down upon the silver-haired shinobi, Kakashi found himself thanking his childhood decision to wear the face-mask, which hid his resemblance to his father, for he knew that he was sporting a neon-red blush against his lighter complexion as Naruto quickly cleaned up the spit from the gate guard and gave the Jounin another one of those sweet timid smiles.

Then suddenly Naruto looked past his sensei in worry as he heard a sharp snap coming from Sasuke's Heart Song. The blonde had never heard such a sound before within a Heart Song, and it made him worry as he looked upon his friend, who was glowering dangerously at their sensei with his young Nightshade eyes. A frown marred the teen's face as he crossed his arms. What right did the young brooder have to be angry at their Team Leader? None that the blonde could think of.

"Oi Teme, what's up with that face?"

Sasuke blinked in surprise as Naruto's soft voice snapped him out of his haze.

"Tsch." The raven-haired teen dismissed then started to walk away; not caring if he was officially dismissed.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes when he saw the dangerous glint in the teen's eyes and knew exactly why the Uchiha heir was angry; however, he was not about to worry his petite student nor was he too bothered by Sasuke's blatant disrespect toward him as the teen just left. Instead the Jounin just told his two remaining students to take the next couple days off to rest and recoup, and he would call them for training or missions. This caused the pinkette and the blonde to cheer happily as they ran back home to their loved ones.

/

"'**TOUSAN! 'TOUSAN!**" Naruto cried as he barged through the front door of his father's apartment.

"**NARUTO!**" Inari called back as he rushed out of the little kitchen to see his little dirt-covered son standing in the middle of the apartment's foyer with his travel pack discarded by the door.

In an instant, father and son found themselves entangled in each other's arms as they held onto each other, rejoicing in the blonde's safe return home. It may have been years since Iruka last took a mission outside of the village's borders, but he remembered clearly the dangers that the roads possessed. Not only were there threats from rival shinobi villages but also from a number of bandits and thieves. Iruka remembered having to deal with those types of rogues after a mission. It was not uncommon nor unheard of that bandits and thieves would attack returning shinobi because the return trip was when a shinobi was at their most vulnerable, either due to wariness or carelessness.

However, now with Naruto in his arms, Iruka could finally be at ease and can breath again.

"Oh! It's soo good to have you home!" Iruka whispered into Naruto's ear as he squeezed tighter.

"It's good to be home, 'tousan!" Naruto replied as he too squeezed tighter.

"Oh! I have a surprise for you!" Iruka and Naruto said as one.

Father and son blinked owlishly before succumbing to a fit of laughter. With one last bear hug, Iruka shooed his son to the bathroom while he finished up dinner and finished wrapping his son's surprise.

An hour later, Naruto was in the kitchen, helping his father set the table, feeling refreshed and revitalized after the long hot bath. The blonde gave a joyful yip when he scented his favorite dish, Ramen, which his father had prepared for him. Even though Naruto loved the Ramen at Ichiraku's, the small blonde would rather have his father's homemade Ramen. Even though Iruka's Ramen was not world famous or even considered gourmet, there was just something warming about the brunette's dish.

Iruka lightly chuckled as he sensed his son was literally buzzing with excitement, no doubt wanting to tell his father about his first mission outside of the village. And sure enough, once the happy family sat down, Naruto quickly began to regale his father of his mission to the Land of Waves. Naruto told his father everything, from his accidental summons of the forest's tree roots to Ka'a's revelation that he was the son of a miko, a holy priestess.

CRASH!

"'Tousan?" Naruto exclaimed in worry when he saw his father's face go pale and the glass of milk slip from the brunette's hand.

"M-miko -?" Iruka stuttered.

"Hai… Anou, is something wrong?" Naruto whispered then immediately gave a startled yelp when Iruka suddenly gathered his son into his arms and held on tightly, afraid that the petite blonde would be suddenly ripped away from him.

Naruto's eyes grew wide as he felt his father tremble in fear and heard the frightful shrieks within his father's Heart Song. Instinctively Naruto wrapped his tiny arms around his father and began to purr, unaware that a small portion of his calming chakra began to flow into his distraught father, in hopes to soothe the older shinobi. Iruka gasped in surprise as he felt a comforting warmth, much like a mother's embrace, course through his entire being, calming his frantic mind enough to allow him to think clearly.

Iruka gently cupped Naruto's cherub face in his hands and looked deeply into his son's expressive orbs in amazement. Naruto then began to nibble his lower lip in worry. Iruka rested his forehead against his son's cool forehead and loosely wrapped his arms around the petite Kitsune-avatar's lithe frame.

"'Tousan?" Naruto whimpered.

"Why…" Iruka licked his dry lips before continuing, "Why does Ka'a believe that your mother was a miko?"

"Ka'a says because he can _feel_ my powers. It's warm and nice…" Naruto replied, "But if he holds on for too long, it'll burn him… purify him. He said you felt it too… just now… Anou, what does he mean?"

Iruka did not answer but continued to look into his son's oceanic blue gems, trying to find the nine-tailed demon within.

"Mikos and the like can destroy your kind." Iruka stated rather than asked.

Both Ka'a and Naruto stilled, and Iruka accepted that as a 'yes'.

"Is that…" Iruka paused and took a deep breath, "Is that why Naruto was chosen? Because he inherited his mother's powers?"

~Yes.~ Ka'a replied through his kind Jailer, ~Naruto-dono's purifying chakra tames the malevolent influence of my youki. It allows him to siphon some of my youki to use when need be, and…~ Ka'a paused as he thought of the most important aspect of why his beautiful Host was chosen, and with a heavy sigh, ~I am aware that I am not the first nor the last youkai to succumb to imprisonment within mortal flesh… however, Naruto-dono is and will be the only vessel to remain untainted by my youki.~

"Because of his mother?"

~Yes. The other hosts that exists…~ Ka'a explained, ~will either die or succumb to madness… no mortal can withstand the malevolent bloodlust of a youkai for long.~

At this, Iruka sighed in relief. The Chuunin had heard rumors of others like his son. It horrified him to hear that other villages had condemned other children to this cursed existence. It still revolted him to think that the noble Fourth Hokage had done the same to Naruto. Iruka wondered if the Fourth knew of Naruto's heritage, and if the noble Lord did then it was a bittersweet blessing. It gave Naruto a chance to live without fear of the demon's presence killing him or driving him mad. But Naruto's miko heritage came with its own curse.

"Ka'a," Iruka began, his tone absolute and grave, "swear upon your honor and whatever god you pray to that you'll always protect Naruto."

Ka'a bristled at the insinuated insult.

~Of course, I'll protect the kit!~

"Swear you'll do whatever it takes to protect my son!" Iruka demanded, "Even if you have to destroy Konoha to do it!"

"~**WHAT?**~"

"Swear it, Fox!"

Ka'a was silent before he spoke clearly.

~Upon the Sacred Tails of Inari, I, Kyuubi no Ka'a Wielder of Nataku, swear to protect Naruto-dono at all cost.~

Iruka sighed as tension disappeared from his frame.

"'Tousan, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"You mustn't let anyone, and I mean _anyone_, know that you have miko blood, Naruto." Iruka warned.

"But why?"

"Because they will kill you without hesitation."

Ka'a growled deeply.

~They would not dare harm a Childe of Kami!~

"Why, 'tousan?" Naruto asked calmly, despite sensing Ka'a's righteous anger.

"Because of all things a shinobi fears.." Iruka stated, "death, demons, betrayal.. there is one thing that we shinobi fear above all else…"

"What?"

"Kami." Iruka whispered, "We fear Kami."


	2. Chapter 2

_**~Scroll 1~**_

Several weeks have pass since Team Seven's return from the Land of Waves, and since then they have been assigned a variety of missions, ranging from babysitting to recapturing 'Tiger' to litter-patrol down by the waterfalls. Although disappointed by the series of D-ranked missions given to his team, especially after having experienced a higher ranked mission, Kakashi was amazed at how stoically that Sakura and Naruto had accepted these low ranked assignments while Sasuke, on the other hand, was extremely tense and angry.

It was not uncommon that Kakashi had witnessed his favorite blonde act as a buffer between Sasuke's foul mood and Sakura's fading crush for the Uchiha heir. On those occasions, Kakashi found himself hard pressed not to snap at the raven-haired teen, but also at the same time, the silver-haired Jounin was always in for a treat whenever Naruto tempered the brooding teen with either a single word, look or even touch. The ex-ANBU did not know how the petite blonde did it but was grateful nonetheless.

The older shinobi was disappointed that the Uchiha's thirst for action had greatly affected the little cell's teamwork. Kakashi gave a heavy sigh as he casually turned a page of his beloved book, keeping a special eye on his certain blonde curious kitten. He could honestly understand on some level to the Uchiha's frustration; however, the silver-haired Nin thought that 'inaction' would be a good lesson for the impatient raven-haired teen.

For most of Sasuke's short life, the teen had been praised and doted upon by every villager and shinobi of Konoha, just because of his clan name. However, when they were at the village of the Land of Waves, the raven-haired teen was a nobody as much as Sakura and Naruto were, and to add insult-to-injury to the Uchiha's pride, Sasuke had come face-to-face with another teen that was more powerful than himself.

Turning another page, Kakashi wondered if perhaps he should explain his lesson of 'inaction' to his brooding student when he heard screeching from above. Looking up, the silver-haired Jounin saw a magnificent Sharp-shinned Hawk. The small creature was a sharp contrast with its black-grey back and reddish-white breast against the clear blue sky. As the older shinobi watched the beautiful bird circle above him a few times, Kakashi could not help but also think of how his favorite blonde was a sharp contrast with his seraphim blue orbs and bright soul against the seemingly dull and drab presence of the entire village.

"Okay." Kakashi called as he mentally shook his head, "That's it. We'll call it a day right now. I've got to hand in my report on today's mission."

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke grumbled as he turned around and began to walk away.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped as she remembered her callous words from several months ago. "Hey! Sasuke, wait up!"

Kakashi watched curiously while Naruto just grinned as Sasuke stopped and coolly glared at the pinkette.

"I… I was wondering… if…" Sakura found herself stuttering again as she tried to find the courage to ask her teammate to her home.

Yes, she did have a crush on the dark teen, and she knew that a small part of her was only asking because of that crush. But there was another reason why she wanted to ask, and that was she could not fathom Sasuke's desire to return to an empty home. While she and Naruto had someone waiting for them at the end of the day, Sasuke had no one, and to Sakura, that thought alone was too much for her to bear. She knew that she could never replace Sasuke's parents, but perhaps she hoped that by inviting her teammate to her home, she could share the warmth and love of a family with him, even if it was for just a little while.

Her eyes quickly darted to Naruto, who was encouraging her to go on. Ever since their return from the Land of Waves, Naruto and Sakura had each tried to get the orphaned teen to come over to their homes, but each time they were rebuked.

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner..?" Sakura managed to ask as she fought a blush.

"You're as bad as Naruto." Sasuke sneered, not understanding the pinkette's true intention, "Why waste your time flirting when you should be practicing? Even his skills are better than yours!"

Sasuke then turned and walked away, leaving behind his teammates and sensei. Sakura's shoulder slumped in depression. It was not her intention to come off as 'flirting'. She honestly wanted him to join her and her family for dinner so he would not have to be alone. And of course, she knew that she was nowhere skilled as her otouto and her long-time crush nor was she special like them. The knowledge alone hurt her without the raven-haired Genin having to rub it on.

"**HEY! TEME! GET BACK AN' APOLOGIZE TO SAKURA-NEECHAN!**" Naruto shouted to the retreating teen but received no reply, which made the petite Kitsune growl.

After hearing his favorite kitten growl, which caused shivers course down the Jounin's spine, Kakashi quickly disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Naruto frowned at his sensei's hasty retreat, but pushed it aside in favor of his littermate's distress. For awhile now, the petite blonde had noticed a hidden troubling note in the pinkette's Heart Song. She was still unfocused as she was since they had graduated and yet there were moments when the blonde heard a beautiful clarity of the potential hidden within his oneechan. However, he had no way of showing it to her, and Naruto definitely knew that the only time he really heard the troubling note was whenever Sasuke had said something scathing either to her directly or indirectly.

"Forget him, 'neechan." Naruto sighed as he rested his head against her shoulder, "He's a chicken-butthead."

Then the blonde grinned as he felt his littermate trying to keep from snorting and because he heard three pairs of shuffling feet and whimsical ditties. From the corner of his eye, Naruto mentally chuckled as he observed a strange little _square_ rock, sneaking up on him.

~Creative…~ Ka'a playfully chuckled as his many tails swayed in amusement.

~Hai, and I don't have the heart to correct them.~ Naruto send in bemusement, accidentally sending his amusement to his littermate, who turned around feeling light-hearted despite of everything.

Sakura knew that she could do nothing for now about where she stood with Naruto and Sasuke in regards to skills abilities, but with a light-heart, Sakura also knew that in time she would find her place. Turning around to face her otouto, Sakura gave a sharp squawk of surprise.

"What the hell!" Sakura gasped as she clutched her chest in attempts to calm her frantic heart.

"Anou, Sakura-nee," Naruto playfully cooed with an impish grin, "What's the matter?"

Noting the mischievous glint in her otouto's sapphire blue gems, the pinkette began playing along with whatever the blonde had in mind.

"Oh! Nothing, just thought I saw something." Sakura replied with a dismissive wave.

"Ah! So you didn't see a little rock with perfect angles, perfect corners, eyes holes **AND **hiding three little ones?" Naruto grinned as he pointedly looked at said rock.

Suddenly the cardboard rock flipped over revealing three little children. The leader of the group stood in front of the other two, protectively and with his arms crossed while a pout adorned his face. The little leader had short black hair that seemed to defy gravity. He wore a simple pair of shorts and shirt as well as a ridiculously long scarf, which Naruto often wished the little one did not wear.

Standing to the little leader's left was a blushing little girl with auburn hair that too seemed to defy gravity; however, she had her hair styled into pigtails. She also wore a simple pair of shorts and shirt with a dark vest. And standing to her right was a droopy looking little boy with ashen-grey hair. He wore a pair of large round spectacles that covered most of his face, and wore a pair of shorts with a dark jacket covering his undershirt.

But what drew Naruto's attention was that each little one wore a pair of goggles, much like a pair he wore before he had graduated.

"Leave it to the man I have acknowledged as being almost my equal!" Stated the little leader, "Your skills rival my own!"

"Hello Konohamaru." Naruto chuckled then tapped the little raven-haired boy's goggles, "May I ask… what's up with the goggles?"

"Heh heh heh," Konohamaru laughed, "You're our idol, right? We're copying the style you used to wear."

"Ah! I see." The blonde replied while Sakura giggled in the background.

"What do you mean 'Ah! I see'?" Konohamaru demanded, "Suddenly too cool for school, big guy?"

Naruto let out a low chuckle as Konohamaru's little bravado reminded the blonde of a wolf cub trying to show that he was a 'bog dog' whenever the cub's older siblings were around. Naruto, however, quickly regained his composure when he saw his little cub-brother pouting at the droopy boy and mumbling unhappily.

"So…" Naruto cleared his throat, "What can I do for you?"

"We'll show you, Boss!" The auburn-haired girl cheered, "Can you come now?"

"I dunno…" Naruto trailed off as he glanced at his oneechan, who was watching the entire scene with curiosity.

"**BUT… BUT YOU PROMISED TO PLAY NINJA WITH US! RIGHT?**" The three shouted as they crowded around the blonde. Each looking up at him with large and watery eyes.

"Uhm…" Naruto gulped uneasily at the pure dejected expressions on the three little one's faces. He did not doubt that they had been anxiously waiting for today since he made the promise a few days ago.

"And…" Sakura drawled, although very curious, "What is a ninja doing 'playing ninja', hmm?"

"Hunh?"

"It's really cool!"

"Yeah, there's hide and seek!"

"And tag!"

"And capture the hiate-ate!"

"And this really cool game where this circle moves and we have to hit it and the one who gets the most points is the winner!"

"It's like training but fun!" The three children began shouting as they ventured closer to the surprised pinkette.

She had never seen such enthusiasm in any child when it came to ninjutsu training. As she listened to the three kids rattle off of the games they played, Sakura was really amazed that the games had practical application to ninjutsu. For example, hide and seek could be a precursor to tracking, and capture the hiate-ate could be done individually or as a group to test one skills or even teamwork, and knowing Naruto, it was all about teamwork. As for the other games, Sakura may not know off hand to their practical application to ninjutsu, but the pinkette was positive that Naruto would not let the kids play some random game without having a purpose.

_He's training them…_ Sakura thought as she looked at her otouto in a new light.

Feeling Sakura's gaze on him, Naruto looked up and suddenly felt his cheeks and ears grow warm. The expression on her face was one of surprise and admiration, which the blonde was still unaccustomed to receiving unless it came from Ka'a and 'tousan. Naruto quickly looked away as he scratched the back of his head in nervousness.

The three little ones suddenly noticed their hero's nervous fidgeting as they looked back and forth between the blonde and the pinkette. Konohamaru pouted as he saw the pinkette's dazed expression. _That chick's eyeing him like she'd kill him and devour his corpse!_ Konohamaru thought remorsefully when suddenly he remembered that his mother often gave his father the same look before the two would disappear for a while.

"Hey, Big Guy…" The raven-haired boy grinned as he patted the blonde's back, just like his uncle would do whenever he congratulated his father, "seeing as how you're so smart and suave and all…"

"Hunh?" Naruto blinked as he looked at his little cub-brother.

"The hottie… and I can tell… you and she are…"

"Hunh?"

"You knowww! Right?"

"Hunh?" Naruto blinked again while he heard Ka'a choke.

Sakura blanched as she realized what the little boy was insinuating.

~Ka'a, you okay?~ Naruto send in worry.

~I am well, Naruto-dono.~ Ka'a replied as he regained his composure. The ancient demon could not believe that the child would have the gall to insinuate _that_ about his Host and the girl.

~Ka'a, do you know what Konohamaru is talking about?~

Ka'a then found himself pinching his nose as he heard the innocent question. He should have known that his naïve Host would not understand the innuendo. After all the blonde did not know the mechanics of a _kiss_! Ka'a licked his lips, knowing that he would have to explain, and to be honest, he had a bad feeling, a _very_ bad feeling, about it.

~Naruto-dono,~ Ka'a cautiously replied, ~the little one is implying that you and your teammate are…~

~What?~ Naruto innocently asked.

~That you and she are Intended.~ Ka'a sighed as he could not find a more delicate explanation.

Naruto's eyes grew wide as color drained from his face.

"**WHAT?**" Naruto shrieked, "**EWW!** That's disgusting! Yuck!"

~Eh…~ Ka'a attempted to warn his innocent kit.

Sakura immediately snapped out of her daze at hearing the proclamation. Instinctively Sakura punched the petite blonde, who was caught by surprise tumbled into the wall.

"**BIG GUY!**" The children shouted.

It was then that Sakura realized what she had done. She knew that the blonde had not meant to insult her by his proclamation. After all, they were brother and sister, and one did not do that sort of thing with siblings. She… she just reacted.

"Wh-what did you do that for?" Konohamaru challenged while his playmates checked on their fallen leader. "**YOU TOTAL WITCH!**"

Sakura felt her eye twitch in annoyance but retrained herself from slapping the little boy. After all, it was her fault for misunderstanding her otouto's intentions.

"…Jeezh!" Konohamaru clearly muttered, "That broad browed, fire-breathing hag! Is she even a real female?"

"Konohamaru!" Naruto gasped in horror.

"That's it!" Sakura growled as she glared daggers at the obnoxious little boy, "**DIE! BRAT!**"

"**RUN!**" Naruto yelped as he and the three children scrambled to their feet and ran for their lives from the pink-haired kunoichi.

While Naruto purposively lagged behind in case one of the children stumbled, Konohamaru managed to take the lead when suddenly…

POW

Konohamaru gave a surprised yelp as he tumbled backwards onto the ground.

Looking up, the little raven-haired boy planned on shouting at the person he had ran into but quickly found his words lodged in his throat as he saw the two he bumped into.

The two strangers were a male and a female, and they both coldly glared at the little boy at their feet. It was obvious that they were foreigners and older, _much_ older than the little one. The teenage boy's face was completely painted in white and maroon paint as if the young man was wearing a noh mask. He wore a loose black body suit and on his chest was a large circle with one half colored yellow while the other half was red. The foreign boy wore a black cowl that gave his shadow a bat-like appearance, and he had a strange bundle, wrapped in linen with a black ruff, strapped to his back.

The teenage girl was slightly taller than her companion and probably older than the foreign boy as well. She was light complexioned with blue eyes and blonde hair. Her hair was parted into four pseudo-ponytails, and she wore a white-lilac colored long sleeved shirt-dress. Tied around her waist was a red sash, most likely to keep the giant fan secured to her back. Underneath her dress, the blonde girl also wore a mesh undershirt. She even wore a mesh wrapping around her upper left thigh and her right shin.

And each stranger wore a hiate-ate that did not bear the mark of Konoha. Instead their hiate-ate mark looked much like an hourglass with a block on top.

"That's gotta smart!" The foreign boy coldly muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

_**~Scroll 2~**_

"Konohamaru!" Naruto cried once he saw his little cub-brother being manhandled by one of the two foreigners. Naruto kept the others behind him.

"That hurt, snotface!" The foreign boy grunted as he tightened his grip around the little boy's scarf.

"Knock it off." The foreign blonde girl sighed in annoyance, "You're gonna get it as it is!"

"It was my fault." Sakura apologized as she wondered who these people were, "I was fooling around…"

_"{Put him down!}" _Naruto commanded, unaware that his special timbre had slipped into his voice.

Everyone watched in surprise as the large foreign bully slowly lowered Konohamaru's to the ground. As the little one's feet touched the ground, Naruto leapt forward before anyone could react and freed Konohamaru from the stranger's grip.

"**RUN!**" Naruto ordered.

Konohamaru did not need to be told twice as he swiftly ran to the safety of his friends, who sought refuge behind the pinkette girl.

Unfortunately for Naruto, when he gave Konohamaru the order to run, it awoke the foreigner from his daze. It took the stranger less than a second to realize that he had lost his prey and that the little blonde girl in front of him had done something to him. His hand stuck swiftly and quickly like a white scorpion of his homeland and caught the fleeing petite blonde.

"Unnh…" Naruto gasped as he felt an iron grip close around his slender throat.

**NARUTO-DONO!**

"**NARUTO!**"

His name echoed around him.

"What the hell did you do to me, you Genin-bitch!" The stranger demanded as he tightened his grip around the little girl's throat.

Naruto could not breathe nor think as he instinctively flared his chakra out for help.

"**NARUTO!**" The children were crying.

**NARUTO-DONO!**~ Ka'a growled as he lashed at his prison.

"Answer me, bitch!" The foreigner growled.

"I…" The foreign blonde girl sighed again, "will not be held responsible for this…"

The foreign bully then cocked his hand back, furious that the little girl would not answer him, completely oblivious of the fact that the little blonde could not. Then he swung forward to teach her a lesson when…

FWAP

THOK. THOK. As a med-sized pebble rolled on the ground.

Naruto crashed to the ground, gasping for air, while his abuser grunted in pain.

"Tell me…" Drawled a cool voice with barely contained anger, causing everyone to look up at the raven-haired young man, who was casually sitting in a tree with two more stone pebbles in his hand. "What are you guys doing in our village?"

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried in relief but stayed back with the kids.

"Oh look." The stranger sneered as he flexed his hand. "Another little brat."

"Get lost." Sasuke growled as he quickly looked Naruto over for other injuries, but the bully took a step into the raven-haired teen's line of sight, blocking his blonde from him.

"Come down, little squirrel!" The foreigner taunted, which Sasuke ignored as he noticed his blonde moving away from the foreigners and toward Sakura. "Think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

"Tell me you're not planning to use the Crow!" The blonde girl cried as she watched her companion remove the bundle from his back.

Sasuke just ignored them as he watched his blonde suddenly freeze in mid-step.

"**SASUKE! BEHIND YOU!**" Naruto shouted as he turned with wide sapphire blue orbs.

At first, when he was released from the stranger's hold, Naruto was more concerned in calming a certain overprotective fox-spirit that he had not heard an oddly familiar melody. It was not until that he started toward his littermate and the cubs that he realized that there _was_ another foreigner in the area. The haunting Heart Song was familiar to the petite blonde somehow, but he could not place it. However, he knew it was near. The Song kept fading as if the person was hiding, and when Naruto heard it again, he was able to locate it… behind Sasuke.

"Kankuro!" A low monotone voice ordered, causing Sasuke to still in shock that anyone could have snuck up behind him. "Don't!"

Sasuke snapped around and saw a young man about his height, perhaps a bit smaller than him, standing on the underside of a thick tree branch. The newcomer was pale with blood red hair. He wore a pair of dark brown trousers with leg wrappings tucked into his traditional sandals, and he also wore a regular black tee-shirt with a mesh undershirt. Across his right shoulder was a simple white sash while across his left shoulder was a thick leather strap that was used to secure the giant gourd to his back. His tourmaline blue-green eyes were hard and devoid of any emotions, and they were surrounded by a thick layer of kohl. And emblazed over his left eye was the red kanji 'ai', meaning love.

"You're a disgrace to our entire village." The redhead said, revealing nothing of his emotions.

"G-Gaara…" The noh-faced bully, Kankuro, stuttered while the blonde girl took an instinctive step away from the bully and the redhead.

_He… he snuck up beside me…_ Sasuke mentally applauded. _I didn't even have a clue! His stealth rivals Kakashi's… but of course, _my_ dobe spotted him._ Sasuke mentally smirked in pleasure.

"It annoys me that you'd lose control in a quarrel with children!" The redhead, Gaara, continued, "Have you forgotten why we came here?"

"But Gaara…" Kankuro explained, "They started it. The little one slammed me! And that bitch did something to me!"

"Hey!" Naruto hissed, "I'm a _boy_, you dump ape!"

"Could have fooled me!" Kankuro shouted back but was surprise nonetheless that the Genin, he thought was a girl, was in fact a _boy_!

"Shut up…" Gaara stated, "Or I'll kill you."

Kankuro immediately shut up as his body trembled in fear.

"We're sorry…" The blonde girl immediately stated, not bothering with hiding her fear of the silent redhead. "Okay, Gaara? Really, really sorry!"

_So, he's in charge, eh?_ Sasuke thought,_ He glares like a basilisk._

"Sorry about my friends." Gaara stated; however, he did not sound apologetic as he watched the raven-haired teen, who had injured Kankuro. The redhead was mildly impressed, but he was more impressed by the mysterious blonde boy, who gave warning to the redhead's presence. The young man disappeared in a whirlwind of sand and reappeared between his two frightened companions.

"I know we're a little early…" Gaara reprimanded his companions, "but we didn't come here to play around."

"I swear it won't happen again." Kankuro promised.

"Let's go." The redhead ordered as he turned to leave.

"**WAIT!**" Sakura finally found her voice as she took a tentative step forward.

"Yes?" Gaara acknowledged.

"According to your headbands, you three…" Sakura started, "come from the Hidden Village in the Sand. Your country is one of Konoha's allies but according to our treaty, your ninja are not permitted to cross the border without authorization. State your business! We can't just let you go your merry way."

Sasuke and Naruto looked upon their teammate with pride. Even though she was scared by the three Sand-Nin's presence, Sakura was not about to let three strangers roam freely in her village.

"Ever heard the old saying about it being darkest at the base of the brightest lighthouse?" The blonde Sand-Nin sneered as she presented her travel papers.

Naruto wrinkled his nose as he heard the girl's jeer toward their rank.

"Weren't you informed?" She cooed with an air of superiority. "As you guessed, we're junior-level ninja from Sunagakure. We're here to take the chuunin selection exam."

Naruto frowned as he heard the lie in her words. They were there for more than what she said.

"What's the chuunin selection exam?" Konohamaru asked from the safety behind Naruto.

"You really don't know." The blonde kunoichi tsked, "Junior ninja are sent from Sunagakure and the minor lands between our home and yours to compete against Konoha's own candidates."

"Why?" The little one asked, causing the Sand-Nin to scoff at him but answered nonetheless.

"Mainly to maintain the skill of all shinobi at the same high level of excellence. Also to foster friendship and understanding between ninja. And, of course, to maintain balance of power between the lands themselves."

Naruto narrowed his eyes on the blonde kunoichi as he listened.

She was reciting. She did not believe the words she spoke. This made him extremely suspicious of these visiting shinobi's true motive; however, before he could call them to task, the petite blonde felt his hand being tugged. Looking down, Naruto saw Konohamaru wickedly grinning at him.

"Hey, Naruto, you should enter this chuunin selection exam thing too!" Konohamaru cheered, which caused Naruto to lightly smile.

"Hey! You there!" Sasuke called as he appeared beside Naruto, "What's your name?"

"Huh? W-who me?" The Sand-kunoichi blushed at the handsome youth.

"No!" Sasuke scowled, "I was talking to the spook beside you."

"Sasuke." Naruto quietly admonished his teammate's rudeness, while the others held their breath, fearful of the redhead's reaction to the rude name. However, Gaara just looked at the raven-haired ninja then glanced at the blonde.

"Sabaku no Gaara." Gaara answered then asked, "And you are..?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke smirked as the two of them sized each other up then Gaara looked at the blonde expectedly, but the blonde said nothing as he stared at the redhead.

"And you."

"Hunh..?" Naruto blinked before realizing that the strange youth with the echoing Heart Song was speaking to him, "Oh! Uzumaki Naruto, pleased to meet you!"

"Hn." Gaara grunted then ordered, "Let's go."

In an instant, the three Suna shinobi disappeared.

_Things are getting interesting._ Sasuke darkly grinned then turned to his blonde. Roughly the raven-haired teen grabbed the blonde's chin and examined the large handprint bruise encircling Naruto's slender throat. Instantly obsidian orbs bled crimson, revealing the Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan.

"Maa," Naruto calmed the angry teen, "it'll heal."

"He'll pay."

"Tsch… Teme." Naruto grumbled then snapped his attention to the far trees as he felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

"What is it." Sasuke demanded as he followed the blonde's gaze but saw nothing.

Naruto shook his head then smiled at his teammate before suggesting that they all go for some ice cream.

/

"What do you think?" Asked one of three menacing shadows hidden in a far away tree.

The three shadows watched the entire affair between the Suna and Konoha shinobi with disinterest.

"None of them are of any importance," The shadow's leader spoke, "except the Konoha raven-hair and the spook from the Sand. Keep an eye on them."

/

Kakashi bade a hastily retreat once he felt his blood grow hot from hearing his little gem growl at the Uchiha heir. He knew he should have said something to Sasuke about his callousness toward Sakura, but the silver-haired Jounin was more worried about the petite blonde scenting the older shinobi's hot blood. And then having the blonde's father bring the wrath of Kami upon his head for it.

Kakashi knew that he should not have been truly surprised that Naruto's senses were heightened. After all, the blonde did have the Nine-Tail Fox Spirit within him! However, the silver-haired Nin had not expected the blonde to ask him about some of the scents he noticed while they were still in Tazuna's village… Apparently some of the women smelled "funny" as they had been watching the ex-ANBU work on the bridge without his shirt and vest on. It did not take a genius to figure out that the "funny" scent that Naruto smelled was the women's arousal and lust…

Kakashi knew that he would have to be extremely careful whenever he was around the petite blonde. As the silver-haired Jounin took his leisure time to Hokage Tower to submit his mission report, Kakashi found himself thinking about his blonde. He knew that he found the blonde attractive. The petite shinobi's features were… Kakashi would not say delicate or boyish, but an alluring balance between the two. And his eyes!

Kakashi could never get enough of the blonde's clear sapphire blue gems that saw _through_ him, pierced through his soul and still _accepted_ him despite his sins. Kakashi could and would happily spend the rest of his natural life and the-here-after just staring into those seraphim blue orbs. When Kakashi first met the small blonde, he did not really realize it, but truthfully Naruto's eyes seem to constantly reflect a multitude of shades of blue.

And of course, there was much more to the blonde than his fair and exotic looks. There was intelligence and wisdom hidden beneath the façade of the village idiot. The silver-haired Jounin knew it and saw it, and yet at the same time, there was also a level of childish innocence and naivety that Kakashi found himself wanting to protect. All of that drew the ex-ANBU's attention to the young shinobi. Kakashi found himself wanting to know more about the petite blonde. He wanted to know if what he saw was just that or was there something more. Then again Kakashi did not doubt that there was more to the blonde, and _he_ wanted to know, to see, to touch and taste all that was Naruto.

With a hidden grin beneath his mask, Kakashi wondered how the blonde would react if the silver-haired Nin asked him out. Perhaps invite the blonde out to lunch to someplace nice and yet simple. At first thought, Kakashi thought of taking Naruto to his favorite noodle stand, but quickly dismissed the idea since that was part of the blonde's village idiot persona. No… from what he had gleamed by observing Naruto during their missions, the blonde was the type who appreciated a simple meal in a comfortable setting. Alas, Kakashi sighed as he realized that none of the restaurants in Konoha would allow the blonde admittance because of what he contained within him. At this, Kakashi mentally growled. However, he was not a man that was easily deterred. He wanted… he needed to know more about his blonde, and he would to!

"Hatake-san!" A familiar voice called, snapping Kakashi from his thoughts.

With a slight frown, Kakashi just realized that he had reached Hokage Tower. He had been so deep in thought that he had not realized he had arrived. Standing at the Tower's entrance was another Jounin that Kakashi had worked with on a few occasions.

"Yo! Hayate-san." Kakashi greeted as he stepped inside.

"Been callin' your name for awhile." Hayate casually stated as he followed the silver-haired Jounin inside.

At this, Kakashi just shrugged as he went up to the third floor to the Submission Office while Hayate continued up to the upper levels to the Hokage's Audience Chamber, where Kakashi was sure to learn the reason why the Hokage would sent out his messenger hawk out to summon all of Konoha's senior ranking shinobi.


	4. Chapter 4

_**~Scroll 3~**_

"Thanks for your latest report, Kakashi-san." Umino Iruka thanked as he accepted the Jounin's report with a small smile, which Kakashi returned with a hidden one.

"How's Naruto?" Iruka suddenly blurted as he saw the older shinobi was about to leave. No doubt heading toward the upper levels as the brunette would be doing once he received all of the day's mission reports.

Kakashi froze once he heard the Chuunin's question and felt his heart race as his mind wondered if the scarred-face brunette knew… knew about the Jounin's affection for the blonde. Kakashi really prayed that the brunette Chuunin did not know or else the silver-haired Jounin would never be able to see his beautiful bundle of sunshine again.

"Uhm…" Kakashi stuttered nervously which went unnoticed by Iruka, who was distracted by another Jounin submitting their mission report.

"Thank you." Iruka politely thanked then turned to Kakashi as he cleared his station, "Your team's seen a lot of action lately. Naruto has been coming home always exhausted but happy. I can't help worrying about him"

Instantly Kakashi relaxed once he heard the brunette express his concerns about his son, and knew that he was safe from a father's protective wrath… at least for now.

"You know how it is, Iruka-san." Kakashi assured the young father then subtly praised the brunette, "He's developing fast. He's always hoping to catch up to his hero… You."

Iruka blinked as he looked at the silver-haired shinobi curiously.

"Really?" Iruka asked.

It was not that he doubted that his son viewed him as a 'hero', but he questioned the Jounin's motives in expressing such praise. It was as if the Jounin was trying to get in Iruka's good graces. Oh sure, they had that misunderstanding a while back about the silver-haired Nin's taste in literature, but either than that, the two shinobi were quite amicable toward one another. Kakashi even let it known that he knew of Iruka and Naruto's relationship and was very supportive of it. The brunette gave the Jounin a suspicious look while said Jounin just grinned.

"Shall we?" Kakashi asked before Iruka had a chance to question the ex-ANBU's motives, which Kakashi knew that the Chuunin would do.

Iruka just nodded as he picked up a book from underneath the table.

JINGLE. JINGLE.

Kakashi looked sharply at the book in the brunette's hand and noticed a little silver bell attached to a red cord and bookmark. The bell looked suspiciously like one of his bells. The same bells he had used to test his team…

"Iruka-san?" Kakashi called as he clearly remembered discovering one of his bells missing the day after he tested his team.

"Yes."

"Where did you get that?" Kakashi pointed to the silver bell.

"Oh this?" Iruka asked as he fingered his place in his book and pulled out the simple wooden bookmark with the bell attachment.

Kakashi gently accepted the bookmark and instantly felt a sliver of residue of Naruto's chakra. The bookmark was made from a thin piece of wood with a simple ink painting of bamboo reeds on one side while on the other written in Naruto's handwriting was:

_To The World's Bestest Dad!_

Kakashi gave a light chuckle at the blonde's proclamation of having the best father, but it was the bell that caught his attention.

"Naruto made it for me when he came back from the Land of Waves." Iruka explained. "Though, I'm not sure where he got the bell. He said something about a scarecrow, but I don't remember."

Iruka confessed with a shrug.

Kakashi stilled as Iruka retrieved his bookmark from the silver-haired Nin. Then Iruka disappeared as soon as he saw some familiar faces, leaving Kakashi stunned at another revelation about his beautiful blonde.

His sneaky little fox had actually successfully captured a bell but said nothing because he knew that it was not the actual goal of the Jounin's test. His devious little bundle of sunshine even kept the bell as a silent memento for himself of his accomplishments. His beautiful Naruto wanted praise from those who knew him, such as his father and Kakashi. Naruto did not want nor need empty praises from anyone. He only accepted real and honest praise.

Suddenly Kakashi's shoulder shook with laughter as he marveled at his precious gem.

"Oi, Kakashi?" Grunted a breaded Jounin as he stood beside the laughing Kakashi, "You okay?"

"Hai." Kakashi replied with unbridled mirth.

After several minutes of mingling among colleagues, the gathered senior-ranking shinobi began to quiet down when they saw their leader, Sandiame Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, take his seat in an overly plush throne. Sarutobi waited another few minutes for his shinobi to gather closer before beginning this meeting. The old shinobi smiled brightly and kindly at his warrior-citizens. He had watched many of them grow into fine ninja, and he could honestly say that he was proud of his people and their accomplishments. He knew that whatever the outcome of this meeting was to be, it would be for the good of their village.

"Seeing whom I invited here, you may be able to guess," Sarutobi's ancient voice called the meeting to order, "what we are here to discuss."

"Is it time already?" Kakashi asked in surprise.

"Have you informed the Lords of the other lands yet?" Asked the twig-chewing Jounin, Hayate, "Because I believe I have already seen some of them in our village. When is it to be?"

Sarutobi removed his pipe.

"One week from today."

"Isn't this rather sudden?" Asked another Jounin from the crowd.

"To make it completely official, I hereby announce," Sarutobi continued with a ghost of a smile, "Seven days from now, on July 1st, we shall begin conducting examinations for journeymen ninja- the Chuunin."

Immediately the gathered crowd began murmuring among themselves while Iruka began assaulting his lower lip in worry. He looked at the three Jounin in front of him. He knew that they would be asked first if they felt that their teams of Genin were ready to take the Chuunin Exams. In Iruka's opinion, the Sandiame should not be asking this of them yet. _It's too soon for _any_ of them._ Iruka thought but listened nonetheless as his Hokage began speaking again.

"Now then," Sarutobi's voice silenced the murmuring crowd, "we'd like to hear first from those who have overseen the training of our newest junior ninja."

Immediately three Jounin stepped forward.

"Masters Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma." Sarutobi introduced.

Kakashi stood off to the left of his two colleagues while Yuhi Kurenai stood in the middle of the trio of Jounin. Kurenai-sensei was a beautiful woman with lightly tanned complexion and with long, wavy black hair. Her crimson-brown orbs held a hard edge of a warrior, who had seen too much. Kurenai-sensei wore a simple layered yakuta, which also revealed her long and shapely legs; however, no male shinobi dared look or make a comment for fear of angering the deadly genjutsu specialist. Standing off to the right was Sarutobi Asuma, the Hokage's own son.

Asuma-sensei stood nonchalant with his colleagues and looked rather bored with all the formality of the meeting. Asuma-sensei was a tall man, taller than Kakashi, and thicker built. He wore the same Jounin uniform as Kakashi, save that the Sarutobi Black Sheep added an apron style sash around his waist as a personal touch. With a customary cigarette dangling from his lips, the bearded, dark-haired Jounin waited for the Sandiame to continue.

"Tell us," Sarutobi continued, "do any of you have, among your charges, any Genin you'd recommend for this year's journeymen exams?

"… That before we can even consider them, they must have completed a minimum of eight missions. Beyond that, employ your own judgment as to whether they are ready to aspire to the next level.

"To be truly competitive, candidates should probably have completed at least double the recommended number of missions… you may begin, Kakashi."

Kakashi lowered his eyes as a sign of respect for his leader. He was truly surprised that the Chuunin Exams had come so early this year. Traditionally the Chuunin Exams were held in August along side the summer festival. He was slightly curious as to why Sandiame Hokage would push up the exam date but then again the silver-haired Nin suspected politics were involved. The ex-ANBU was a man of action and not politics.

Kakashi brought his right hand before him and took a deep breath. Even though he was surprised that the exams had come early, the silver-haired Jounin did not doubt that his team was ready. Especially his little blonde fox.

"Cell Number 7," Kakashi proudly stated, "Led by Kakashi, consists of Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. I vow upon the honor of my clan, the Hatake - that all three of them are ready for the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"**WHAT?**" Iruka gasped in horror.

"Cell Number 8," Kurenai nonchalantly began, "led by Kurenai, consists of Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. I vow upon my own clan, the Yuhi, that I am as certain as is my esteemed colleague - that all three are ready for the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"Cell Number 10," Asuma answered, "led by Asuma, consists of Yamamaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji. I vow upon my clan, the Sarutobi, that I am equally as certain - that all three of them are ready for the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"How unusual for all three of you to have unhesitatingly assented -"

"J-just a moment!" Iruka interrupted his Hokage as he stepped forward, ignoring his fellow shinobi's murmurs of surprise by his action.

Kakashi mentally winced, forgetting that as a father, Iruka would object to his son participating in the exams.

"Yes, Iruka?" Sarutobi acknowledged.

"Lord Hokage," Iruka pleaded, "Please allow me to speak!"

Sarutobi nodded, knowing that the young brunette was concerned about the safety of a certain Genin they both love. The aged shinobi knew very well that the handsome Chuunin saw their favorite blonde as his son, and the Chuunin Exams have been known to cause a fatality or two. Naturally, Sarutobi did not want to think of any of his children dying because of these exams, and he had not _really_ expected _all_ three of his Jounin to submit their students. Unfortunately since all nine rookies were formally nominated, the Hokage had no way to deny the nominations without causing the three clans, including his own, to lose face. His only hope was for some sort of miracle.

"Forgive me if I overstep." Iruka apologized but continued, not just for his son's sake but for all of his former students, "but most of the nine students just named were my students while they were at the academy.

"Certainly, they are all gifted and show both commitment and talent… but it's too soon for kids that young to be stepping up to the journeyman level. Only with time will they have the kind of experience and maturity those exams require. I don't understand why their supervisors can't see that."

"I was six years younger than Naruto when I attained the rank of Chuunin, Iruka-san." Kakashi offered, hoping that would ease the overly-worried brunette but immediately realized that was the wrong thing to say as the lithe Chuunin rounded on him with chocolate brown orbs ablaze.

"Naruto's not like you!" Iruka growled.

Kakashi knew that those around them believed the Chuunin was belittling the blonde imp, but Kakashi knew better. Naruto _was_ not like him, who submerged himself into his ninjutsu to hide from his pain and shame, while Naruto embraced his own pain and grew stronger from it. It was that fact that Kakashi knew in his heart that his little blonde would greatly benefit from these exams.

"Do you want to destroy those children?" Iruka demanded as he continued to glare at the silver-haired Nin, "You all know what they call the Chuunin Selection Exam, don't you?"

Kakashi quietly growled at the brunette. Yes, he could understand the Chuunin's concern for the students' safety, but what really made him see red was the fact that the brunette was insinuating that _he_ did not care about what would happen to _his_ three students or any of the other students. Oh sure, he may not show it overtly, but he did care about his students… even the Uchiha brat, he cared about the brooder too.

"They gripe about every detail of every mission." Kakashi snapped, "Just for once, I think it would do them good to find out what real pain is… let's admit it. Breaking them would be fun."

"Are you out of your mind?" Iruka growled viciously.

Instantly Kakashi realized that he had proverbially inserted foot into mouth.

"… it was a joke, Iruka-san." _A bad one._ "I understand you… and I'm sorry if my recommendation upsets you. But I stand by it."

Iruka clenched his jaw tight because yes, he could hear the silver-haired Jounin's conviction in his words. It did not mean that he had to like it or approve it.

"Kakashi…" Kurenai drawled out in a bored tone, "Can we finish with this?"

Kakashi sighed.

"It's none of you business, anyway… they're not your students anymore. They are soldiers under my command."

Iruka remained silent at the reminder that he no longer had any say in his son's life. However, his eyes spoke volumes. Kakashi knew that if Naruto was harmed any way because of his recommendation then the brunette was going to come for his head.

"What a pest." Asuma grumbled but instantly quieted when he saw Kakashi glower at _him_.

All the while, Sarutobi just watched and silently prayed that no harm fell on any of his children.

/

The next morning, Team 7 found themselves waiting at Torii Bridge for their sensei after each received a brief message to be there. The message told them to be at the bridge at seven in the morning, and yet here it was close to nine, and no sensei in sight.

"Sheesh…" Sakura sighed after she finished a fifteen minute tirade on unprofessional behavior and irresponsibility to one's own team.

Sasuke just growled at the kunoichi's dramatic rant but mostly ignored her and the uncharacteristically quiet blonde, who was perched on the bridge's railing and watched the fast-moving river current.

"Hey…" Sakura called as she noticed her otouto's troubled expression.

"Hm? Sorry, you said something, 'neechan?" Naruto blinked when he felt Sakura's gentle touch.

"You've been awfully quiet… and not the good type of quiet." Sakura began then looked with unabashed concern, "Is everything okay?"

Sasuke watched his two teammates from the corner of his eye. He too noticed the unnatural quiet presence that seemed to have surrounded the petite blonde.

Naruto then smiled brightly at his littermate's concern, which effectively relaxed his teammates' tense frames.

"It's nothing…" Naruto tried to assure the pinkette, who frowned at the blonde's poor attempt at lying.

"Yeah right…" Sakura crossed her arms and glared sternly at the petite teen, "So… are you going to tell me what's bugging you or am I going to have to use It?"

Sasuke stood straight as he heard the pinkette threaten his blonde. He was curious as to what 'it' was, and why would Naruto childish giggle at the threat.

"Well…" Naruto stared once he calmed down from his giggle fit. "Last night, there was a meeting of the Chuunin and Jounin with 'ji-chan, and … well, I don't know… I've never seen 'tousan so angry before, except the time when Mizuki hit me."

"Mizuki?" Sasuke growled as he listened to his blonde.

"Touji Mizuki?" Called a familiar voice high up on one of the Torii. The harsh tone in the familiar voice startled Sakura and Sasuke as they looked up and glared at their extremely tardy sensei. While Naruto looked at his silver-haired sensei, who was demanding for an answer with his visible eye.

"Hai…" Naruto sighed, knowing that the older Nin would not let them start whatever mission they were assigned until he got what he wanted. "Mizuki and 'tousan were dating a long time ago, and when Mizuki hit me, 'tousan dumped him… after breaking his nose and hand."

Even though Naruto mumbled the last few words, Kakashi heard him clearly and absently thanked his stars that they were before the Hokage when he made his recommendation lest Iruka really made good on his threat.

"Anou…" Naruto cantered his head to the side, "Why are you late?"

_Again…_ Hung in the air between the two, which caused Kakashi to grin and scratched the back of his head.

Even though he wanted to know more about Mizuki harming the petite blonde, the silver-haired Jounin had other pressing matter to address, such as…

"This may surprise you," Kakashi sheepishly grinned, "but I've recommended all three of you for the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"Huh?" Sakura gasped in surprise while Naruto and Sasuke shared similar expressions of doubt and confusion.

Sasuke then crossed his arms across his chest while his confusion melted away to annoyance. He did not find the Jounin's poor attempt at humor very funny. It was literally unheard of for a Jounin instructor to submit their Genin students for the Chuunin Exams unless they had a minimum of one year of experience.

"Heh. Heh," Sakura laughed nervously, "Good one, Kakashi-sensei. You almost had us."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He heard the truth in his sensei's voice, and he remembered a bit of his 'tousan's rant of mutilating a 'stupid, arrogant scarecrow'.

"So," Naruto calmly stated as he too crossed his arms across his chest, "that's why 'tousan was on a murderous rant last night."

"Uhm…" Kakashi floundered at being caught.


	5. Chapter 5

_**~Scroll 4~**_

Later that evening, Sakura was up in her room, working nimbly on a plushie charm. She usually made these little charms as a way to keep her hands busy and as a way to calm her frantic mind so she could come up with a plan of action… and right now… she needed a plan of action. She needed to make a decision on what she was going to do with her life.

Ever since she was a little girl, Sakura had always dreamt of being a first-rate kunoichi. Suddenly the pinkette snorted to keep a giggle at bay because in reality, she dreamt of being a kunoichi-hime, a ninja princess. Soon her giggles subsided to a sigh as she gave her plushie-charm a final snip.

Laying the faceless plushie on her desk, Sakura just absently stared at the imageless doll, while from the corner of her eye, a seemingly innocent parchment kept drawing her attention. She took a deep breath while she absently reached over to her fabric drawer, retrieving several sheets of colored felt.

When she had come home for the day, her parents had been home, and they had seen the Chuunin Application. To say that they were proud of her would be the greatest understatement of the century! Her parents went on and on about how she was going to beat the Chuunin Exams with top scores and how she would make the rank of Jounin in no time. She had to strain a smile on her face. While her parents continued on and on, Sakura knew that her parents meant well, but they were not shinobi. They were simple people, who had no idea what the Chuunin Exams could possibly be about.

Oh sure, Sakura did not doubt that there might be a knowledge portion to the exams, but she would bet her saved-up allowances that the main portion of the exams would be on her fighting ability and skills… which were quite frankly non-existing. The pinkette lowered her scissors as her hands arranged the cut pieces into a design that pleased her. She wore a sad smile as she thought about the exams.

Kakashi-sensei had said that the choice to enter was up to them individually. She knew without a doubt that Sasuke would enter. Mostly for a chance to go against that red-haired boy, who gave her the creeps and was obviously entering the exams. And Naruto… he too was excited about the exams. But the pinkette suspected that Naruto's excitement stemmed mostly out of curiosity, after all it was _their_ village hosting the exams, and Naruto could meet new people.

_He's so much like a little kitten._ Sakura giggled as she finished the plushie's clothes. _But why do _I_ want to apply for the exams?_ She finally asked herself then looked at her half-completed plushie.

"I don't want to…" Sakura said to her creation, "but I want to stay with Sasuke and Naruto… and if I do enter, even though I don't want to, I would only be hurting them… I'm not special… not like them. I don't have a kekkei-genkai like Sasuke… heck, I'm not even an elemental specialist like Naruto… I really can't do anything… without them."

Sakura sighed deeply as she looked at the Chuunin Application. _I won't be able to keep up._ She thought then reached over to her lamp and turning it off. A decision made, and with a heavy heart, the tired pinkette went to sleep.

/

The next morning, Team 7 met outside a teahouse that was not too far away from their former school. Sasuke stood a bit away from his pink-haired teammate but did not fail to notice that there was something troubling her since she was unusually quiet. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Sasuke mentally prayed that his dobe showed up and soon. Even though he felt that the pinkette was annoying, the girl was still a member of his team, and he did not need the distraction, especially during the Chuunin Exams, of worrying about the depressed girl. He would have the blonde deal with her as he knew his blonde would.

"**HEY, 'NEECHAN!**" And speaking of the blonde.

"Uh…" Sakura blinked out of her daze when she heard her otouto calling. With a weak smile, she greeted, "Hi."

Naruto then cantered his head to the side as he heard the troubling note again in his littermate's Heart Song. With a quick questioning glance to the raven-haired teen, who just shrugged indifferently, Naruto walked up to his taller teammate and looped his arms around her arm, causing the pinkette to blink in surprise.

"Anou, 'neechan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, which caused Sakura to blush and look away.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Liar." Naruto called as the pair walked slowly behind the leading Uchiha. Naruto gave his teammate a nod of thanks as he knew that Sasuke was purposively taking his time to the school, despite the fact that the raven-haired teen was literally humming with excitement.

"You're worried about the exams?" Naruto asked, out right.

"Hunh… how..?"

"Maa…" Naruto shrugged than gave her arm a gentle squeeze, "You'll do fine. Have faith in yourself… beside, if we three stick together through, I _know_ we'll pass the exams with flying colors!"

Sakura frowned a bit at the absolute conviction she heard in her otouto's voice. She knew that Naruto was incapable of lying, especially to her, so it made her curious as to why the blonde believed it so.

"And why is that, Naruto?"

Naruto gave her his infamous impish smile.

"Because we have a secret weapon!" He whispered conspiratorially.

"Well, Sasuke's Sharingan will come in handy." Sakura pouted.

"Nah… that's nothing." Naruto waved dismissively, unaware of Sasuke's glare.

"Uhm… Your Earth-jutsu is pretty good secret." Sakura hazard as an answer to which Naruto just shook his head.

"Nope… Teme and my abilities _are_ good, but their limited by our _own_ stamina and strength." Naruto confessed.

Sasuke mentally winced. He had no retort because his blonde was absolutely correct as much as he hated it. Both of their abilities required a lot of chakra to use, and their young bodies could handle only so much before shutting itself down or destroying them.

"Okay then, Naruto, what's this secret weapon that you're talking about?" Sakura demanded as she crossed her arms.

Even Sasuke looked on curiously to hear what his dobe had to say.

Naruto then grinned as if knowing a secret, which he did.

"You."

/

It only took Team 7 a few minutes to reach their old school, and another few minutes to come across a large group of chuunin-applicants. The three teens looked at each other curiously as they slowly moved through the crowd to see what had caught the group's attention. As they moved closer to the front, they could hear snickering and flesh-on-flesh punches.

"Is someone as talent-less as you really planning to take the Chuunin Selection Exam?" Sneered a young man with wild urchin-style brunette hair, "Why bother?"

The young man on the ground wiped the blood from his lips on his bandaged-covered hands. He was a strange looking youth. He wore a green body suit with bright yellow leggings. Across his waist was his Konoha hitai-ate, and he had a bowl-cut hair style, which oddly enough brought attention to his thick brows.

"Bunch of wet-behind-the-ears snotnoses!" Urchin-head jeered.

"You said it!" Agreed Urchin-head's friend.

"Please…" Begged a young woman with raven-colored hair up in twin buns on top of her head. She wore a pale lilac sleeveless shirt and a pair of loose black pants.

"We're begging you…" She beseeched as she came forward, "Let us in."

THOP

"Uhn -" The young woman grunted as she collapsed to the ground.

One of the spectators muttered against the two youth, who were guarding the door to room 301.. against their cruelty and yet the spectators did nothing to assist the young woman or her friend.

"What did you say?" Urchin-head challenged then continued with false concerns, "You misunderstand! We're just trying to spare you…

"The Chuunin Exams is incredibly difficult… and we should know. We've failed three times so far. There are people who made it, then immediately gave up being shinobi… others who ended up crippled… some reduced to vegetables… we've seen it all!"

Naruto snorted at the half truths that the two shinobi were spouting. He understood that the two shinobi were there for a purpose; however, he found himself greatly disagreeing to their use of excessive violence on their younger counterparts.

"Besides that, Chuunin are Cell Commanders." Urchin-head continued, "They lead their units. The responsibilities for failed missions and dead shinobi rest firmly on their shoulders.

"And you little punks have the nerve to apply? We're saving a step by weeding out the obvious losers beforehand." Urchin-head stated.

"That sounds good in theory…" Sasuke remarked with all the arrogance of a true Uchiha, "but you'd better let me through.

"And drop the force-field illusion you're created, while you're at it. I have business on the third floor."

"What's he talking about?"

"Who knows?"

"Heh…" Urchin-head's friend chuckled, "So you figured it out, eh?"

Sasuke just smirked.

"It was easy. Right, Sakura?" Naruto chimed in, "You were probably the first to notice it."

"Huh..?" Sakura blinked owlishly at what her otouto was talking about.

"You're the most analytical and the best in our cell," Naruto explained with a bright smile, "at understanding the art of illusion."

Suddenly Sakura's eyes widened as she finally understood what Naruto had meant by her being their secret weapon. Oh sure, Naruto and Sasuke may be the _power_, but that meant nothing if their power was not utilized to their fullest potential, which was where _she_ came in. She was their brains! She gave her teammates a big, sunny smile before glowering at the two shinobi at the door.

Naruto stole a glance at Sasuke, who had a knowing smirk on his handsome face.

"Of course I noticed it!" Sakura declared as she stood tall and proud, "Obviously, we're still on the second floor."

The chuunin-applicants watched gobsmack as the 301-sign began to warp and become 201!

"Hey…" Urchin-head applauded, "Not bad. But just seeing through it isn't…"

He suddenly rushed Sasuke. Instantly he dropped, bringing his right leg around.

"…**ENOUGH!**"

Instinctively Sasuke brought his own right leg up for a block.

WHAP! WHAP!

Both attacks were blocked by the green leotard wearing youth.

_He's so fast!_ Sakura gasped, _He perceived the attack patterns on both sides and planted himself at the nexus of both of their kicks… is that even possible?_

Naruto looked on curiously as he listened to the strange youth's Heart Song. The blonde found it curious that the young man choose _now_ to reveal his true self, when only a moment ago, the odd teen was pretending to be 'weak'. Of course, Naruto also wondered why all of sudden the teen's happy ditty became happier and dittier… if that was even possible.

~Apparently he sees something that he likes.~ Ka'a chuckled as he mentally guessed what had caught the bizarre youth's eye.

The strange teen then released Sasuke and Urchin-head, who dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Sasuke, however, narrowed his eyes on the older raven-haired teen.

_He _blocked_ my kick!_ Sasuke mentally glowered, _But there's something weird about his chakra._

"Hey…" Quietly growled another young man with long raven-black hair that was tied back in a low pony tail.

It was obvious that this young man was a friend of the odd teen and the young woman since they gathered closer to the newcomer. The long-haired youth wore a light beige buckled shirt with dark shorts, and his right arm and leg were covered in linen wrappings.

Naruto frowned at the long-haired youth. There was something familiar about the teen's pale lavender orbs, but the blonde could not place where he knew the older Genin. And of course, the teen's Heart Song did not help with Naruto's confusion.

"That's not what we agreed!" The pale-eyed teen reprimanded, "You're the one who insisted we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

"… B … but…" The odd teen whimpered as he blushed a violent shade of red while he stared at Sakura.

"Here we go again…" The young woman sighed dramatically while the long-haired youth resisted the urge to smack his forehead… or better yet, smack his idiotic friend.

The odd young man boldly approached Sakura, who suddenly felt uncomfortable by the teen's attention.

Sensing his oneechan's discomfort, Naruto moved closer to the pinkette and let out a low growl of warning _not_ to approach closer.

The teen heard the growl and looked at the petite girl curiously. But he quickly pushed his curiosity aside as he focused on his pink-haired Goddess.

"Um -" The youth stuttered, "Hi… My name is Rock Lee. You're Sakura, aren't you?"

"Eh… yes." Sakura answered.

"Would you like to go out with me?" Rock asked as he winked, revealing glittering white teeth and held a thumb up. "I'll protect you with me life!"

"**NO… WAY.**" Sakura squawked at the teen, "You are _way_ out of hand!"

Sakura turned to walk over to Sasuke while Naruto just shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey, you!" The pale-eyed shinobi called out, catching Sasuke's attention, "What's you're name?"

"It's common courtesy to give your own name first." Sasuke challenged, causing Naruto to roll his eyes at his teammate's blatant rudeness.

"You're a rookie, aren't you? How old?" The long-haired teen pressed.

"I don't have to tell you a thing." And with that Sasuke walked away, smirking in delight at the growing number of worthy opponents that the Uchiha hoped to challenge and ignoring the looks of admiration from the raven-haired kunoichi.

"Now!" Sakura cheered as she grabbed her teammates' hands, "Sasuke, Naruto, let's go!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**~Scroll 5~**_

"Let's go, Lee." Called Lee's female teammate, "What are you doing?"

"You guys…" Rock answered over his shoulder as he began to follow his pink-haired Goddess, "go on ahead. There's something I want to check first."

/

Rock Lee followed the members of Team 7 for a bit until he knew for certain that there would be no distractions or interference from the other chuunin-applicants.

"Hey, you with the scowl…" Lee called out from the fourth floor terrace. "Wait up!"

"Eep!" Sakura gasped when she saw the weird teen up on the terrace.

Naruto frowned at the odd youth while Sasuke looked on with utter boredom.

"What is it?" The Uchiha demanded.

"You and me, here and now… want to fight?"

"You want to fight me… here and now?" Sasuke repeated in complete surprise.

"Yes." Rock said as he leapt over the terrace railing and landed in front of the trio.

"My name is Rock Lee." Lee introduced himself, "Among sticklers, etiquette requires one to introduce oneself before asking for the name of another…

"… Uchiha Sasuke."

"Huh…" Sasuke grunted, "So you knew who I was all along."

"I'm calling you out!" Lee declared as he lowered himself into a fighting stance, "I want to test the effectiveness of my techniques against the last surviving member of your legendary clan.

"Besides…" Lee trailed off as he turned his attention to his pink-haired Goddess.

"Hunh..?"

Lee then gave a flirtatious wink.

_"__**NO WAY!**__" _Sakura shrieked as she began to tremble at the thought of the creepy-eyed teen attempting to court her.

Naruto began growling in response to his oneechan's trembles.

"You're an angel!" Lee gushed then blew a kiss at his Goddess' direction.

Naruto stepped in front of his littermate and bared his fangs more visibly.

"Aw… don't be like that…" Lee addressed the growling blonde but was confused as to why the petite girl would be so protective of the pink-haired Goddess.

"So you're challenging me, even knowing my lineage?" Sasuke asked, "In other words, you're a fool.

"So, Dog-brow…" Sasuke glowered, "do you really want to learn what it means to be an Uchiha?"

"Absolutely!" Lee cheerfully replied. _I can hardly wait! I'm going toe-to-toe with the cream of the rookie crop, first time out! Now you'll get your proof you require, Master Gai!_

"Hold it." Naruto called, startling his teammates since the blonde rarely joined in a grudge match. "Let me handle Dog-brow."

Sasuke smirked when he heard his blonde take up the Uchiha's nickname for the leotard-wearing Nin.

"He upset 'neechan." Naruto hissed like a peeved kitten.

"I have no interest in fighting you, little miss." Lee frowned, "Only Uchiha."

"**I'M A BOY!**" Naruto growled.

Immediately the after-image of Naruto disappeared while the real Naruto was upon the offending Nin.

Naruto closed in for a punch.

Lee casually brushed the punch aside.

Naruto effortlessly grounded himself, bringing his left leg around for a devastating downward kick.

Moving as fluidly as water, Lee ducked beneath Naruto's descending kick, using his leg and arm to knock Naruto down.

"Gale Force Technique!"

The combined momentum of Naruto's attack and Lee's counterattack caused Naruto's lithe body to fly through the air and crash right into the wall.

~Naruto-dono!~

"**NARUTO!**" Sakura cried as she immediately rushed to her otouto's side.

"Mark my words…" Lee proclaimed to Sasuke, "None of you will beat me."

~Naruto-dono!~ Ka'a called as he wrapped his many tails around his Host.

~S'rry…~ Naruto's consciousness slipped into a healing darkness, causing the ancient demon to sigh in relief.

_I'll need to teach you not to be so sensitive about being mistaken for a girl._ Ka'a said to himself. He knew his young kit could have countered the older teen's passive moves with a few of his own; however, Naruto's mind was clouded with annoyance and anger at being called a girl that the blonde could not see the other teen's moves. Ka'a sighed at the prospect of that particular lecture.

"I…" Lee declared, "am the greatest fighter among all the junior ninja in Konohagakure!"

Sasuke smirked dangerously with a glare. _He stopped my kick with his arm. No human alive can do that. I don't know what techniques he's using… but I want to find out! After I punish him for hurting _my_ Naruto!_

"I accept your challenge." Sasuke growled out.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped then noticed the clock on the far wall. "Don't do it, Sasuke! We have less than half an hour to submit our application! And Naruto needs to see a medic!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the reminder of his dobe's injuries.

"This will only take five minutes." Sasuke promised as he charged.

"**SASUKE!**" Sakura screamed, but her teammate ignored her.

_Here goes!_ Lee thought, _I'm sorry, Master Gai… I may have to break the big rule! I might need… __**that move**__!_

Lee twisted his body for an aerial assault.

"Konoha Hurricane!"

_Above me!_ Sasuke instinctively ducked.

Lee dropped, bringing his right leg around for a kick.

_No time to duck. Gotta block!_ Sasuke brought his arms up for a block, protecting his head.

_**WHAT?**_ Sasuke gasped as he realized Lee's kick had slipped pass the Uchiha's block.

POW

"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped as Sasuke body flew across the corridor.

Sasuke landed on the ground with a resounding thud. _What the …?_ Sasuke shook out of his daze.

_I thought Sasuke blocked that!_

_How'd he get under my guard?_ Sasuke glared at the other teen. _Is this martial arts… or magic? An illusion?_

Lee grinned as he noticed the Uchiha heir was getting up for more.

_Fine._ Sasuke snorted, _This may be my chance to get in a little practice using … __**IT**__._

Sakura watched worriedly as Sasuke relaxed his body and closed his eyes. Then she gasped in surprise as her one-time crush's onyx-black eyes bleed out to reveal his three-tomoe Sharingan. Lee scowled at the sight of the famous ruby-red eyes, but he did not let their intimating gaze deter him from his goal. Sakura then cheered at her teammate as he charged the other teen. _Oh, Sasuke! He's the best! If this is the same kind of genetic kekkei genkai skill that Kakashi-sensei has, Sasuke can penetrate the secrets of Dog-brow's techniques!_

_Whether it's genjutsu illusion or ninjutsu fighting technique… _Concentrating his gaze on the other boy,_ there's some kind of magic at work here!_

BAMMM

Sasuke felt his head jerk back at the powerful kick he received from Lee.

"Hunh?" Sakura gasped in horror, _But he used the Sharingan!_

As Sasuke's lithe form flew straight up in the air, the raven-haired teen tried to understand how his Sharingan had failed to see through Lee's technique. Then his eyes widened as he realized that the only possible way for his eyes to fail him was if Lee was using neither martial arts nor illusions.

"Hunh…" Naruto then grunted as he slowly came to.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried in relief that her otouto was fine.

"Kagebuyo…" Lee's voice carried down to Sakura and Naruto, causing them to look up and call out to their teammate. "Shadow of the Dancing Leaf…"

"That's right." Lee correctly interpreted Sasuke's shocked expression as he reappeared beneath the Sharingan-wielder much like a shadow. "No ninjutsu. No trickery. My moves are strictly physical.

"Hard as you may find it to accept… if your _Sharingan_ Eye can see to the heart of every ninja art well enough to duplicate it, as it is said to, then you know what I say is true. I'm sure your _Sharingan_ is invaluable against arts like ninjutsu and genjutsu, with their formalized rules, sign-casting, and chakras…

"But physical Taijutsu arts in their pure form are a very different story."

"But … how?" Sasuke demanded, not truly believing that his Sharingan Eyes were useless against Lee's Taijutsu techniques. He was Uchiha! Nothing and no one could or would defeat him and his Sharingan!

"Even if you can perfectly perceive and understand my movements, you lack the speed and strength to counter them. You haven't had the physical training necessary to keep up with me! It doesn't matter what your eye can see if your body's too weak!" Lee stated as the linen wrappings around his wrists slowly came undone. "There are two kinds of strength. The kind you're born with… and the kind you only get from backbreaking work.

"Your _Sharingan_ is natural-born genius. I hear it runs in your family. What I have, I got through blood, sweat, and tears! In other words, your subtle arts and my physical prowess makes us a complete mismatch! Let me prove it to you.

"This particular move of mine exceeds your genius… completely!" Lee honestly said.

Sasuke could feel a swell of panic raise as he tried to figure out what his opponent was planning to do.

As Naruto and Sakura watched helplessly, Naruto suddenly tensed when he scent an odd musky and moist odor and felt a strange aura tickle his senses. It was also then that he saw a pinwheel whistling through the air and pinning Lee's bandage to the wall.

"**HALT!**" An ancient voice commanded from a puff of smoke. Slowly the grey smoke disappeared, revealing an oddly yellow-colored … turtle. "That's enough, Lee!"

A _talking_ yellow turtle!

Suddenly Lee reached the end of his bandage, causing a bungee effect as he flipped, twirled back to the ground and landed on his feet while Sasuke was left to the whims of gravity.

"**SASUKE!**" Naruto called as he lunged forward to catch his falling friend.

Naruto then skidded beneath the Uchiha heir, using his own body to cushion Sasuke's fall.

"**OOPF!**"

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura called as she rushed to her teammates' side, ignoring the fact that Lee was humbly bowing before the turtle. "Sasuke, are you all right?"

Sasuke ignored her as he glared angrily at the bowing teen. Sakura was nervous, seeing Sasuke visibly tremble, while Naruto looked at the turtle curiously.

~An envoy of Genbu? Here?~ Ka'a asked curiously.

~Genbu? Who's that?~ Naruto asked as he watched Lee and the turtle interact with another.

"You… you saw?" Lee whimpered miserably.

~Genbu the Black Tortoise is the Guardian of the North. He is neither mortal nor youkai. He's the Elemental of the Earth.~ Ka'a explained, also curious of the yellow turtle.

"You know the rules, Lee." The turtle reprimanded. "That move is strictly forbidden!"

"What's the deal with the turtle?" Sakura asked, but no one could answer her.

"P-please forgive me…" Lee stuttered, "I was only …"

However, whatever excuse Lee was about to utter died in his throat as he cringed underneath the turtle's glower.

"I… I wouldn't have used the reversal move… I never meant…"

Sasuke and Sakura looked at one another in complete disbelief.

"**YOU FOOL!**" The turtle roared, causing Lee to wince, "Do you think I care about your feeble excuses? Consider the repercussions of a shinobi warrior - any shinobi - boldly explaining all his secrets!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

Sasuke sneered in disgust at himself. He could not believe that he received a beating from _that_ clown.

"Maa…" Naruto whispered, "His sensei must be pretty strong to be able to summon one of Genbu's Envoys."

"What?" Sasuke questioned, while Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"I hope you are properly prepared?' The turtle demanded, interrupting Sakura before she could explain about one of the Great Four Elementals.

"Y-yes, sir…"

"Well, then… he's all yours, Gai-sensei!"

Suddenly the corridor echoed with a loud explosion.

"Ah, the exuberance of youth." A loud voice boomed, and the smoke cleared to reveal an older carbon-copy of Rock Lee. The only difference between the bigger green-leotard shinobi and Rock was that the older Nin wore the traditional vest of a higher ranked shinobi. "All of you are full of it."

Completely startled by the man's dramatic appearance, Sakura and Naruto instinctively hid behind Sasuke, whose expression could not hide his utter horror and disgust.

"He's got the biggest eyebrows yet!" Sakura mumbled loudly.

"They're almost … alive …" Naruto shuddered.

"And that same dorky 'do…" The pinkette continued.

"They're… uberbrows!" Naruto remarked, "I've never seen anything like 'em!"

"H-Hey!" Lee yelled at the blonde Nin, "Don't try to make fun of Gai-sensei!"

"Oh, shut up!" Naruto yelled back, "You're the moron who can't tell the difference between a boy and a girl!"

"What -" Lee sputtered as he tried to come up with a proper response.

"Lee!" Gai-sensei's loud voice distracted his student.

"Hunh? Oh! Uh, yes, sir…"

"**IDIOT!**" Gai bellowed as he threw a right hook, causing Lee to crumple to the ground like a sack of bricks.

"Huh?" Team 7 gasped in absolute horror.

"You… you…" Gai murmured, despite trying to sound quiet, the eccentric Jounin's voice was naturally loud.

"Sensei… !"

Master and apprentice then looked upon one another, with rivers of tears cascading down their cheeks.

"Sensei…" Lee bemoaned, "I … I …"

Suddenly Gai enveloped his student in a rib-crushing hug.

"That's enough, Lee!" Gai declared, "Not one more word."

"Sensei!"

"Ewww…" Sakura gagged.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Naruto mumbled.

"I understand." Gai cried, "It's because you're young!"

"Sensei!"

"It's all right, Lee!" Gai then patted Lee's shoulder, "Mistake and youth go hand in hand."

"You are too kind… Sensei!" Lee wailed.

"But I can't let your attempt to break the big rule go unpunished." Gai stated sternly, "Your penalty will be to sweat after the Chuunin Selection Exams."

"I understand!" Lee saluted.

"Five hundred laps around the practice arena!" Gai announced cheerfully.

"Yes, sir!"

"What a dip…" Sakura mumbled.

Gai then looked up, and for the first time since arriving, took notice of the three teens standing aside.

Instinctively Naruto tensed as he heard the subtle change in the Jounin's over the top Heart Song.

"Heads up." He quietly warned his teammates.

"By the way…" Gai casually called out, "how is Kakashi-sensei?"

However, none of the members from Team 7 answered.

"I'm asking you!"

"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke demanded.

"Do I know him?" Gai snickered, causing Sasuke to narrow his eyes.

Sasuke's eyes never wavered from the two eccentric Nin when suddenly Naruto gave a quiet yip of surprise. The blonde too saw the older odd Jounin disappear. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw his dobe turn around as if to make someone behind them.

"I should say so! We're archrivals!"

Sasuke immediately snapped around to see Gai standing behind them.

"The score stands at fifty to forty-nine." Gai casually bragged with a wink, "I'm stronger than he is."

_He's so fast. His speed is much greater than Kakashi-sensei's and Naruto's!_ Sasuke scolded, _Is he even human?_

"As you can see, Gai-sensei is totally amazing!" Lee hero-worshipped his sensei.

Sasuke mentally sneered at Lee.

"I know Lee started this fight," Gai said, "But take pity on his old teacher. For the sake of my own self-respect, forgive him."

Sasuke just stared at Gai, trying to figure out who exactly was that man, and whether or not he was bluffing about being stronger than Kakashi.

With a casual flick of his left wrist, Gai's kunai flew across the air, dislodging the pin-wheel, keeping Lee's linen trapped against the wall. With the linen free, Lee automatically began re-wrapping his bandage. It was at that time that Naruto saw the other teen's hand. The blonde was stunned to see the layers of heavy calluses, bruises and scars.

~Be careful with that one.~ Ka'a hissed in agitation.

~Why?~ Naruto asked curiously but still watching the odd teen warily.

~I recognize that one's hands.~ Ka'a explained, ~It's called Klitschko Syndrome or more commonly known as the Iron Fist Syndrome.~

Naruto then winced as he understood… A simple, _gentle _jab from one with Iron Fist Syndrome would feel like one was slugged by a boulder.

"You and Lee should head up to the classroom now." Gai stated then disappeared, "Best of Luck, Lee! Later!"

"Yes, sir!" Lee saluted then turned his attention back to Sasuke, "By the way, Sasuke, I was blowing smoke before. I'm really here to prove my own strength in combat. And I don't think you're the strongest Konoha Genin. The strongest junior ninja is a member of my own team… and I intend to take him down. That's why I'm entering. And by the way… you're on my list, too."


	7. Chapter 7

_**~Scroll 6~**_

"Glad you made it after all, Sakura." Kakashi's voice echoed in the hallway as Team 7 approached closer to their destination.

The three teens looked at their sensei in surprise as the silver-haired Nin stood before room 301.

"This way you all qualified to apply for the Chuunin Selection Exams." Kakashi stated proudly.

"… What do you mean?" Sakura gasped in confusion; mostly confused by her otouto's impish grin as if he knew a secret.

"The way the test is set up, it can only be taken by three-person cells." Kakashi explained.

At this revelation, Sasuke quietly growled at the silver-haired Jounin; not believing that the older Nin would jeopardize the Uchiha's chances of advancement. Naruto, on the other hand, just grinned. The blonde had suspected that their sensei had a reason for lying when they were told that the decision was up to them individually. Naruto had even asked his father about it. Iruka then explained to him that the Chuunin Exams could only be applied by the whole team.

"But…" Sakura started, "Kakashi-sensei, you said it was up to each of us to decide whether or not to apply. Were you lying?"

"I said what I had to, to keep your partners from pressuring you into coming along." Kakashi explained. Of course, when the ex-ANBU said 'partners', he really meant Sasuke. Even though Sakura was slowly getting over her crush on the raven-haired brooder, Kakashi feared that with just one word from the Uchiha heir and the pinkette would agree to apply, just going through the motions without her heart being in it.

"What would have happened if Sasuke and Naruto had shown up without me?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi just shrugged.

"I'd have washed them out right here. None of you would have gotten past this point without both of the others. But you're all here because you want to be." Kakashi smiled, "And I'm very proud of you. Now get in there!"

Naruto and Sakura beamed at their sensei while Sasuke glowered at the silver-haired man, who dared to gamble with the teen's future.

Naruto then looked through his lashes at his brooding friend when he felt a sudden heat coming off of the other teen and heard another disturbing sharp snap in Sasuke's Heart Song. The blonde fidgeted a bit in nervousness before he boldly grab hold of the paler teen's wrist and proceeded to pull his teammate toward the door.

"Look out everybody," Naruto dramatically proclaimed to cover his unease, which did not go unnoticed by Kakashi, " 'cause here we come!"

Sakura giggled at her otouto's antics while Sasuke… while the Uchiha suddenly felt himself feeling free, invincible and warm. The moment he felt his dobe's cool touch, Sasuke felt this golden warmth shot through his arm and set his entire body ablaze. He felt warm and strong as if he could take on the entire Shinobi world and win! He felt and knew, in his heart, that he could take _Him_ on and win! And it was all thanks to _his_ dobe. Only _his_ dobe could make him feel this way. Slowly a small smile graced Sasuke's face, which also eased the hidden tension in Naruto.

Suddenly Naruto's eyes grew wide as he was overwhelmed by a tsunami of Heart Songs. Sakura let loose a gasp of surprise while Sasuke scowled at losing his happy euphoria because Naruto had let go of his wrist to turn around and see the literal wall-to-wall of shinobi.

"What the…?" Naruto whispered.

"What is this?" Sakura stared in amazement at the number of shinobi applying for the Chuunin Exam. The pinkette was not sure if she should be impressed or scared witless by the applicants present. Suddenly a sharp, happy squeal echoed over the loud din of the crowd, breaking Sakura's musing.

"Sasuke!" Squealed a blonde-haired kunoichi as she jumped onto Sasuke's back, "Where've you been, cutie?"

Sasuke sneered at the pale teal-blue eyed girl, who just blushed.

"I could hardly wait! It's so exciting, seeing you again after all this time!" The blonde girl gushed.

"**INO, YOU PIG!**" Sakura roared in a childish fit of jealousy, "Get your hooves off of Sasuke!"

"Hello to you too, Sakura." Ino cooed in faux-friendliness, "Still hoping the big, mutant forehead look is going to come into fashion, huh? How sweet."

"What did you say?" Sakura challenged with a clenched fist.

Naruto looked between the two girls with a frown. Still unsure as to why these two girls would fight over his teammate. With a deep sigh, Naruto just shook his head.

~Girls.~ Naruto send, ~They're _so_ weird.~

Ka'a just chuckled, but mentally thanked his Goddess Inari for his Host's pure innocence.

"Why don't you three save yourselves the embarrassment of flunking this test?" Drawled a bored voice of a dark brunette teen with droopy aloof dark eyes, "Go die, okay?"

"Hey, Shikamaru, Choji." Naruto called to the rest of Team 10.

"What a pain in the butt." Nara Shikamaru grunted as he casually looked over the petite blonde Genin, who just smiled, unbothered by the lazy teen's drawl.

Nara Shikamaru, without a doubt, was Team 10's Genin Leader, much like Sasuke was Team 7's Genin Leader. However, unlike Sasuke, Shikamaru would rather spend his days cloud-gazing than do any missions.

The Nara teen was tall, even taller than Sasuke, but then again, many in the Nara Clan were tall. Shikamaru had light tan complexion despite spending many hours beneath the sun's glow. His dark brunette hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and his dark eyes were hidden beneath heavy eyelids, giving the tall teen the appearance of always being sleepy. Shikamaru wore a pair of black trouser-shorts with his hands stuffed in his pockets. In his slouched posture, his mesh shirt looked as if it actually fit, but in reality, the mesh shirt was short that it barely covered his stomach. Even the Nara's gray vest was also small for the teen's lanky length, but he wore it nonetheless. In fact, most of the tall teen's clothes were small for the ever-growing youth; however, in his immortal words, to go shopping for new clothes, especially with his mother, would be a drag! The teen's golden earrings glittered under the artificial light as he gave the petite blonde the barest of nods in greeting.

"Chick fight…" Mumbled the portly teen standing beside Shikamaru as he happily munched away at his bag of potato chips.

Akimichi Choji was an oddity among the shinobi world. He and majority of the Akimichi Clan were big, and not big in regards to being tall or heavily muscled. No, the majority of Akimichi Clan were … fat. There was no delicate way to describe the young shinobi, who was Shikamaru's best friend. The large teen watched the two kunoichi eagerly in hope that they would go to row over the Uchiha.

The teen's brown hair defied gravity and was parted in such a way that it looked like he was wearing a pair of underwear on his head; however, it was just his hitai-ate, secured soundly on top of his round head. His chubby cheeks held a permanent rosy hue. His brown eyes were barely visible due to his chubby face. Choji wore a pair of baggy black pants with a tan tee-shirt that had a red kanji emblazed on the center. He also wore a green vest and a white scarf around his neck. Choji also wore an earring in his right ear.

"Gonna make Sasuke mine!" Ino claimed as she pulled the lower eyelid of her left eye down and stuck her tongue out to incite Sakura further into a fight.

Yamanaka Ino was only slightly taller than Sasuke, but not by much. She had long blonde hair, pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a matching purple sleeveless top and mini-skirt. If it were not for her under-wrappings, Naruto was certain that Ino's mother would have never allowed her daughter out of their house. Ino also wore a pair of arm covers, similar to Sasuke's. Perhaps as some sort of attempt to emulate the Uchiha heir.

"Hey!" Another voice bellowed out before Sakura had a chance to reply to Ino's taunts, "There you are!"

Both Teams turned around and saw their fellow Genin companions from Team 8. Much like Team 10 and 7, Team 8 consisted of two youths and one kunoichi. Team 8's self-proclaimed leader was Inuzuka Kiba, who was never without his faithful companion Akamaru. A cute little white pup, whose favorite perch was on top of the Inuzuka's brunette hair. Kiba wore a pair of black pants with a beige and brown fur-hemmed coat that was always zipped up all the way, regardless of the weather. Kiba always had a feral and wild appeal to him, which were made more pronounce by the pair of red fangs tattooed to the teen's face.

Even though Naruto knew that Kiba was no real threat to him, the young Kitsune just could never be at ease around the young inu-pup. And if animal instincts were what kept Naruto and Kiba from being true friends then the blonde would honestly have to say that the quiet Aburame Shino just gave him the plain willies. Naruto could not place his finger on it, but there was something about Shino's presence that made the blonde's skin crawl despite the fact that Naruto knew Shino as a nice, quiet and loyal friend.

Aside from Shikamaru, Shino was actually the tallest out of all of the nine rookies present. Shino was pale and had raven-black hair. While many people speculated what color eyes Shino kept hidden behind his black round spectacles, Naruto believed that he was probably the only one outside of the Aburame Clan to know, and in Naruto's honest opinion, Shino had the most beautiful eyes that he had ever seen. Shino's eyes were a breathtaking translucent shade of blues and greens.

Shino hid much of his features behind his dark glasses and his baggy clothes. The tall teen liked to wear dark and mute colored clothing in order to escape notice, which worked for the most part; however, never on Naruto, since the blonde teen heard the quiet teen's soft and gently buzzing Heart Song. Naruto found it fascinating that Shino's Heart Song reminded the petite teen of a series of buzzing beetles and chirping crickets. And then…

It was then that he heard a familiar Heart Song. It was a soft melody of flutes and harps that greatly reflected the shy girl, who possessed the Song. The melody moved to and fro in a soothing rocking motion, much akin to when a mother rocks a child to sleep. The Heart Song was soft and quiet, but by no means insignificant. It was one of those melodies best hummed quietly as a source of calm amongst the current din of chaos. As Naruto latched onto the Song mentally, as a source of calm, the petite blonde could not help but wonder why he had heard the same melody recently and with a hint of an echo.

Naruto then looked at the petite brunette girl with white, pupil-less eyes… well, to the unobservant, Hyuga Hinata's eyes looked white, but if looked closely, one could see the extremely faded shades of lilac in her wide orbs. It was also then that Naruto realized why the pale-eyed teen with Dog-brow seemed familiar. He and Hinata were kin, and of course, being kin, it also meant that they would have similar Heart Songs. Once the petite blonde understood, he kindly smiled at the painfully shy brunette, who instantly blushed wildly and hid behind Kiba.

"Uh… Hi…" Hinata stuttered.

"Looks like the gangs all here." Kiba grunted.

"Including you… unfortunately." Shikamaru sighed before muttering 'what a drag' beneath his breath.

"So…" Kiba continued as his team approached the others, "I guess all three of this year's newbie trios decided to apply, hunh?

"I wonder how far we'll get. What do you think… Sasuke?" Kiba coolly drawled.

"Trying to psych us by acting cool, Kiba?" Sasuke too drawled.

"Who's acting?" Kiba barked, "The way _we've_ trained, no way can you beat us."

Suddenly at Kiba's boast, Naruto felt immediately overwhelmed by the multitude of Heart Songs compacted in the single room. All the noise just became one giant mess of a convoluted noise that seemed to cause a small throbbing behind Naruto's eyes… A prelude to the growing headache that threatened to explode into a skull-splitting migraine.

~Naruto-dono…~ Ka'a whispered as he sensed his Host's pain.

~I know… but I can't block 'em…~ Naruto whimpered in confusion. Even though he knew that he was in pain, he was also humming and buzzing with energy that was rolling off of each and every applicant in waves, and the poor petite teen had no way to block _**all**_of the energies.

"N-Naruto…" Hinata's soft and timid voice called out, causing the blonde to look at her curiously. "A-are you alright..?"

But as Naruto was about to answer, all the noise and energies suddenly and unexpectedly became null. It was as if Naruto was plunged into a world without senses.

"Would you guys…" A quiet voice requested, causing Naruto and the others to look at a young gray-haired man wearing glasses.

The young man was tall and lean. His gray hair was tied back in a low ponytail. He wore a white undershirt with a dark blue top and matching bottom. The stranger also wore a pair of half-fingerless gloves that covered most of the man's forearms, and around his waist was a white sash.

"… do us all a favor and just shut up?"


	8. Chapter 8

_**~Scroll 7~**_

"You three gangs of would-be hotshots are all Genin, right?" Asked the gray-haired Konoha-Nin with a hand on his hip, "Kids barely out of the local ninja academy? All wet-behind-the-ears and runny-nosed! This isn't a school field trip, you know."

"Who the heck do you think you are?" Ino demanded, not liking a stranger telling her how to behave. While everyone looked at the stranger suspiciously, Naruto looked at the older Nin in horrified fascination.

"Name's Kabuto. So what?" Kabuto dismissively stated as if he was unimportant. Then again, amongst the crowd of current applicants, Naruto suspected that they _all_ were unimportant. "You kids need to open your eyes."

"Why?" Sakura asked then noticed her otouto thumbing behind him but never wavering his seraphim blue orbs from Kabuto.

Sakura and several others followed the blonde's pointed direction and looked behind them, only to instinctively take a step back from the forgotten crowd of local and foreign chuunin-applicants. Sakura found herself giving the crowd a weak smile, which none returned, not that she was really expected them to.

"Watch out for the group behind you." Kabuto warned with a knowing grin. "They're Amagakure - Those-who Hide-in-the-Rain - and they've got very short fuses."

"Oh." Sakura gulped.

"Everyone's on edge, waiting to take the exam." Kabuto continued, "I wanted to give you a heads-up before someone snaps and beats the crap out of you."

As the other nine rookies shifted to accept Kabuto's words and moved closer to the gray-haired Nin, Naruto blinked in confusion. A slight frown marred his face as he had been listening to the older Nin's words.

~Naruto-dono?~ Ka'a called out as he sensed his Kit's disconcertment toward the gray-haired youth.

~Nothing…~ Naruto mumbled quietly more to himself than to Ka'a.

~Naruto-dono?~ Ka'a persisted once more, not believing that his Host was being dismissive toward the ancient demon on purpose. For the great Fox-spirit could sense that something about this new stranger greatly troubled his beautiful houshi.

"But it's probably unavoidable." Kabuto sighed good-naturally, "Like all rookies, you think you already know everything. I remember what it was like."

~No, he doesn't.~ Naruto muttered to Ka'a with a mental frown.

The Kitsune sat in his cage, his many tails twitching in agitation by his houshi's lack of forth-coming information. However, Ka'a did not press for he knew that his Host would answer him when the time was right. And right now, his petite blonde-kit was still gathering information on the gray-haired stranger.

"Kabuto?" Sakura's tone was questioning.

"Yeah."

"Are you saying this is the second time you've applied?" The pinkette asked nervously, slightly concerned about the exams' difficulties.

"Not second…" Kabuto replied, which caused the others to prematurely relax, "Seventh."

The others were gobsmacked.

"Twice a year…" Kabuto continued with casual ease, "Hm, going on four years now."

"Wow -" Sakura exclaimed, although not certain if she was impressed by the level of challenge that the exam provided or by Kabuto's determination to keep trying, "Then you've got a lot of experience with what we can expect!"

"I guess so."

At that admission, the eight rookies grinned at one another as they mentally thanked their luck of having some inside intelligence. Kabuto smirked as he noticed the Genin grinning, but he did take notice of the blonde Genin from Kakashi's team, who stared at him critically.

It did not take a genius to figure out who the blonde was. The petite shinobi was Uzumaki Naruto, the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox-Demon. Kabuto found it interesting that the young man had forgone the former bright orange attire for something more subdued in color and something definitely more flattering to the teen's petite and lithe physique. The blonde wore a pair of dark charcoal linen-trousers with the hem rolled up to mid-shin and secured by two straps on either side of the teen's legs. The trouser also sat low around the blonde's hips, innocently revealing the slight hollows of the youth's hips, which was partially hidden behind the blonde's unique top.

Naturally, Naruto wore a mesh undershirt, and over the mesh undershirt, the blonde wore a unique single long-sleeved top. The top looked more like a long piece of autumn orange clothe wrapped around the petite blonde's torso and was secured tightly in place by a deep ocean blue sash that was tied across Naruto's left shoulder. Kabuto did have to admit that the natural orange and deep blue colors did contrast one another beautifully and that the whole new attire suited the teen nicely.

Kabuto smiled at the blonde container, who in turn arched a blonde brow. The gray-haired Nin fished through his pouch on his hip.

"Okay…" Kabuto smiled again, "The least I can do is give you sweet little babies some vital intelligence on what you're in for…"

Then the older Nin pulled out a deck of cards.

"With these _Shinobi_ skill cards."

"_Shinobi_ skill cards?" Sakura curiously asked as she eyed the stack of cards in Kabuto's hands.

"To put it simply, they contain information about the skills we use, transformed into symbols and burned into the cards using chakras." Kabuto explained as he tapped onto the top card, "It took me four years to collect all the intelligence needed for this exam. In all, there are almost 200 cards." Kabuto then playfully flipped the top card over and over between his fingers. "They look blank, don't they? The only way you can read the data on the cards…"

"What's he doing?" Ino whispered as they watched the gray-haired Nin focus on the card on the ground.

"… is by using my own personal chakra. Each set is linked to its possessor. For example, cards like this one…"

ONNG…

The simple blank card expanded and became a large map of the Shinobi World.

The map revealed the five great Lands, including a tiny unknown village. It also showed how many representatives that each village sent and the grand total of chuunin-applicants there were. There were a grand total of one hundred and fifty-three hopeful applicants. With the exceptions of the Sound Village, or Otogakure, each Land had sent representatives from either their capital '-gakure' or a sister '-gakure'.

"It's some kind of combination map and bar graph, in three dimensions!" Sakura gasped in glee, "What kind of intelligence is this?"

"It shows how many applicants each shinobi nation is sending to this session of the chuunin journeyman ninja exams." Kabuto explained.

The Genin gathered closer to see, and noticed as the Host of the Chuunin Exams, Konoha had the most representatives at a healthy set of 87. Sunagakure, the Hidden Village of Sand, as Kaze no Kuni's capital '-gakure' had sent 30 applicants, and Naruto had to lightly smile as he remembered Sabaku no Gaara and his two companions. After Suna, Amagakure, a sister '-gakure' to Kirigakure of Mizu no Kuni, had sent 21 applicants. While Kusagakure of Tsuchi no Kuni and Takigakure of Kuminari no Kuni, each had sent 6 applicants, and Otogakure sent only 3 applicants.

"Do you also have dossier cards?" Sasuke demanded, which caused Naruto to roll his eyes as he could suspect as to whom his brooding teammate wanted to know about. "Cards for each individual applicant?"

"Ha ha…" Kabuto laughed, "Why? Someone here you have a particular interest in?

"I'll admit these are far from complete, but I've burned a set of dossier cards for the current pool of applicants…" Kabuto then pointed looked at Sasuke, "including your team."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he sensed the gray-haired Nin was trying to convey something to the Uchiha heir.

"If you share any data you have on this person who interests you, I'll be happy to look up and let you know what I have so far."

"Gaara, from Sunagakure - Hide-in-Sand, and Rock Lee, from Konoha." Sasuke said.

"You know their names?" Kabuto smiled, "No sweat, then!"

Kabuto swept his hand over his deck and pulled two _Shinobi_ skill cards.

"Let me see them." Sasuke demanded while Kabuto was looking at them casually.

"First up is Rock Lee." Kabuto said, "He's a year older than you there. Missions to date: 20 D-ranked, 11 C-ranked. His team's mentor is Maito Gai… and his _Taijutsu_ physical skills have grown exponentially this past year. He has no other talents worth mentioning.

"He was considered a standout among last year's Genin… but he didn't apply for the Chuunin Exam. He's a first-timer, like you three. His teammates are named Hyuga Neji and Tenten."

Naruto quickly glanced at Hinata, who fidgeted nervously at the mention of her kin. The blonde had to frown at the shy girl's sudden mournful note to her Heart Song. It was as if she was both sad and ashamed, but as to why, Naruto did not know.

"Next is Gaara of the Sand… Desert Country…" Kabuto mumbled, "Eight C-ranked missions… one B. Wow! Not many rookie shinobi get B-ranked assignments!

"Since he's from way out in the desert, I have less on him… but it's interesting. He's come back from every mission completely unscathed. Without a scratch…"

Sasuke was silent then glanced at his dobe. Even though the blonde was on his team, Sasuke really did not know the true level of skills that Naruto possessed. Yes, they have sparred against one another, but never at the same level of intensity as they had fought Haku, back at the Land of Waves.

"Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Oto…" Kabuto continued, "This year, every Hidden Village has sent outstanding junior-level Genin here to compete. I don't know much about Oto, the Village Hidden in Sound. It's part of a new, small nation, so intelligence on it is lacking.

"Every other competing village is well-represented, home to some formidably powerful shinobi…"

"Anybody besides me suddenly feeling kind of outclassed?" Hinata whispered.

"What you're trying to tell us is…" Sakura cautiously said, "Everyone here…"

"Oh yeah." Kabuto grinned, "They're all like Lee and Gaara… Elite, hand-picked shinobi, the best young ninja in the world. They have to be! The test is pitiless!"

Kabuto then started gathering his skill cards.

"Wait!" Sasuke suddenly blurted out, catching everyone's attention.

"Yeah."

"There's one more I want you to check out." Sasuke said with a dark smirk.

At this, Naruto and Sakura looked at one another curiously. They could not think of who else could have caught their teammate's attention, and thus, they listened to see who else Sasuke desired to challenge.

"Okay, who?" Kabuto asked with a hand over his cards.

"Konoha no Yoko." Sasuke proudly stated.

At hearing the Uchiha say his self-proclaimed Hidden Name, Naruto just stared dumbfounded at his friend.

Sakura felt her jaw drop when she heard Sasuke say Naruto's other name while everyone were looking at one another, trying to see if one of them knew who the Uchiha was talking about.

Kabuto, in the meantime, just stared. He had never heard of Konoha no Yoko but found himself intrigued. There were not many secrets in Konoha that he did not know about, and yet here was one, presented to him by the raven-haired teen.

"Is he any good?" Kabuto had to ask. He needed to know.

Sasuke smirked. Of course, his dobe was good. The blonde belonged to _him_, and the Uchiha possessed only the best!

Kabuto's eyes widened at Sasuke's silence.

Naruto suddenly snapped his attention back to Kabuto when he faintly heard it… a faint, faint melody of a Heart Song, which made Naruto shiver in fear.

~Naruto-dono, what is it?~ Ka'a demanded.

~His Heart Song…~ Naruto quietly whispered, still shivering.

Instinctively Ka'a wrapped his warm, many-tails around his Kit to ward off the sense of dread that seemed to grip the young houshi.

~What troubles you, my Beautiful One?~

~It's… silent…~ Naruto whispered.

However, before Ka'a could ask for an explanation, Naruto stilled as he heard three familiar and very ominous Heart Songs among the crowd. His brilliant sapphire blue orbs immediately began scanning the multitude of faces.

"Dobe." Sasuke called as he noticed the blonde become alert and was scanning the crowd.

Meanwhile hidden in the crowd…

"So… according to this dossier, our town is an unknown little village in a backwater country." Sneered one of the three offended Oto ninja.

"Mortifying, isn't it?" Cooed another.

"Want to have some fun with them?" The third suggested.

"Sounds good!" Replied the second Oto-shinobi, who was also the group leader. "That twit, treating Oto like some kind of afterthought. Let's give him a little data for his dossier. His understanding of we-who-hide-in-sound is… unsound.

"We'll see where the intelligence is lacking…" The Oto-ninja cackled with madness glittering in his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Previously on Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exam, Team 7 returned home from the Land of Wave victorious against Gato and his men, proving themselves to be capable of handling anything thrown at them, but can they handle the Chuunin Exam?**_

_**~Scroll 8~**_

"Dobe." Sasuke quietly called out as he attempted to follow his blonde's gaze, but Naruto's eyes flittered about too quickly for the Avenger to follow.

Kabuto watched the interaction in curiosity. The grey-haired Nin found the Fox-spirit's vessel's behavior intriguing, almost as if the blonde had sensed something that a room full of ninjas had not. The purple-garb shinobi was about to dismiss the thought when he sensed a subtle killing intent emanating from the crowd and was coming closer. Kabuto smirked when he noticed a hunched figure effortlessly weave between the standing shinobi in the room. With a slight tilt of his head, the Konoha-Nin also noticed two other figures moving.

One of the three moving figures boldly jumped over the masses with his right arm across his chest. As his body came back to the ground, the attacking stranger released two kunai at Kabuto.

Kabuto easily dodged them.

"Look out!" The grey-haired Nin heard from behind him. It was then he realized what the trio's plan was. While one distracted him, another would attack when he was not looking.

The hunched figure appeared in front of Kabuto. His face wrapped in linen-bandages, only his left eye and ear were visible. His hiate-ate bore the symbol of a musical note. He cocked his right arm back for a punch.

_They're from Sound…_ Kabuto guessed then dodged the punch with a smirk on his face.

"Ahh!"

"Naruto!"

Kabuto heard from behind. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the blonde vessel had dropped to his knees and covering his ears with his hands. It was then his vision shattered along with his glasses. _I see._ The grey-haired Nin, _This kind of attack… is… hmmm…_

"What's going on?" Sasuke questioned, "He dodged the blow, but something broke his glasses!"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata knelt beside the blonde Nin while Sakura looked on and rubbed circles on her otouto's back.

~Shh… Naruto-dono…~ Ka'a quietly purred as he tried to ease the ringing pain in Naruto's ears that the attacking ninja had caused.

BLORCH

"Kabuto?" Ino suddenly gasped as everyone watched the grey-haired Konoha shinobi drop to his knees and threw up.

Standing before the Rookie Nine and Kabuto, the three Oto-Nin looked down on the group. Much like the teams of Konoha, the Oto-trio was also broken down with two shinobi and one kunoichi. However, unlike the teams of Konoha and the other Chuunin-applicants, this team wore an uniform of sorts. They wore camouflage trousers that were tucked in black leg-wrappings with a matching camouflage collar, and it was their tops that differed between the trio.

The Oto-Nin on the right wore a long sleeved tunic with the kanji for 'Death' emblazed three times down the front. His dark hair was spiked and seemed to fan over his face if it were not for his hiate-ate. The kunoichi on the left wore a sleeveless tank-top, and her long dark hair was held down by a clip which rested pass her waist. The group's leader was the hunched-figure. He too wore a long sleeved tunic, but unlike his subordinate, the leader's sleeves were so long that his hands were covered. His face was cover in linen-bandages, and oddly enough he wore a cloak. The cloak was inlaid with horsehair, giving him a pseudo-mane on his back.

"Are you all right?" Ino asked as she tried to help the grey-haired Konoha-Nin to his feet.

"…yeah…" Kabuto muttered, still feeling woozy, "I'm fine…"

"You're a pushover, aren't you?" The leader sneered, "Pretty sad for someone who's been an applicant for four years now."

"Better add this to your cards." The Oto on the right gloated haughtily, "The three applicants from Hiding-In-Sound will all make Chuunin this year!"

Sasuke glared at the three Oto as he placed himself between his blonde and the three Sound-Nin. _I know Kabuto ducked that blow… so what happened to him? Why did he vomit? And why did Naruto react the way he did?_ Before the raven-haired Genin could demand an explanation, the classroom echoed with a loud, booming voice.

"Would everybody please just shut up?"

The other Chuunin-applicants gasped in surprise.

ONNNNG

The smoke cleared, revealing a company of Konoha-Nin. They were simply dressed in a light khaki-colored uniform with the exception of the man in the center of the group. Over his khaki uniform, he wore a thick black trench coat, and covering his head, he also wore a black bandana. His expression was stern and made more grizzly by the scars that marred an otherwise handsome face. One scar, which began somewhere beneath the bandana, rounded around his left eye, coming down his cheekbone and cutting through his lips before stopping at the right side of his chin. His second scar was not as long but equally as prominent. It rested across his right cheek.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Growled the grizzly man, "My name is Ibiki Morino. I'm the proctor and chief examiner for the first part of the exam."

Suddenly the occupants of the classroom became nervous at the sight of the intimidating proctor. But for Naruto, the man's presence had a different effect. At first, the petite houshi feared that the presence of more Heart Songs would overwhelm him, but out of all the convoluted sounds, one Heart Songs dominated the room, drowning out everything. The blonde took a deep breath and focused entirely on the Heart Song. The Song washed over the shinobi, helping him ground himself and strengthening his mental shields. As Naruto listened to the Song, he could not help but be reminded of Ka'a's own Heart Song. This Heart Song and Ka'a's were Songs of the Forest. They were creatures of the Forest, and while Ka'a was naturally a fox, this new Heart Song strangely conjured the image of a Kodiak Bear.

~Bears…~ Ka'a grumbled unhappily, which caused the petite blonde to quietly giggle.

Ibiki then pointed at the Oto-shinobi, smirking as the applicants flinched.

"You…" He growled out, "The kids from Hiding-In-Sound! You can't carry on any way you please when the exam's about to start! … or do you want to be disqualified?"

"Sorry, sir…" The Oto-leader sneered but not really meaning it, "It's our first exam, and we got a little carried away."

"Is that so?" Ibiki grumbled, "Then it's high time someone laid down a few ground rules.

"From this point forward, there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer… and even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers another applicant's life is strictly forbidden. Any of you little piglets who break that rule are out. Disqualified. No second chances." Ibiki's tone left no room for arguments, "Got that?"

"So this is a test for little girly men." The haughty Oto-Nin sneered, causing the company of proctors to sneer and smirk as if knowing a secret.

"As you wish." Ibiki replied dismissively, "The first part of the selection exam is about to commence. Turn in your written applicants, take one of these seating assignment cards…" The proctor instructed as he held up a card with a number on it, "… and report directly to the seat indicated. When everyone's seated, we'll pass out the written part of the test."

* * *

It took nearly an hour and a half to get all of the Chuunin-applicants processed and seated.

"Papers face down until I give the signal." Ibiki called the classroom to order, "Now listen up. There are a few big rules that pertain to the first test.

"I'll write them on the blackboard and explain them all, but I'm not taking questions, so listen carefully. I will say this only once."

The classroom was silent, but it was obvious that there were questions hanging on the tip of everyone's tongues.

"Rule number one!" Ibiki continued as he wrote his rules on the blackboard, "Each one of you starts out here with ten points. The test has ten questions, each worth one point. For each question you get wrong, we subtract a point form you.

"Get all ten right, and you retain the ten points you have. But if, for example, you answer three questions incorrectly, we take your ten points… subtract one point for every wrong answer… and your total drops down to seven.

"Rule number two… this written test is still a team event. Passing or failing will be determined by the sum of the points held by all three members of each cell.

"The object is for each team to have as few deductions as possible from its joint thirty-point total."

"W-wait a second!" Sakura exclaimed, "The whole concept of the starting points and the deductions is hard enough to follow… but what is this 'team total' you're talking about?"

"Did you not hear the part about 'no questions'? We have our reasons. Shut up and listen. You might learn something. This next bit is crucial.

"Rule number three: if, during the course of the exam, a candidate does anything out of the ordinary…" Ibiki gave a wolfish-grin, "in other words, anything that leads the proctors to determine that he or she has cheated… we subtract two points from each member of the cheater's team."

Someone in the background gasped an 'Oh!'.

"Exactly!" The lead proctor grunted, "In all probability, some of you will run through your entire allowance of points during the test. If so, you'll be failed and asked to leave."

"I'll be looking over your shoulder where you least expect it." A proctor, who looked suspiciously like the Urchin-head from earlier.

"If you let the proctors catch you cheating," Ibiki continued, "you'll bring yourself and your friends down! If you aspire to become Chuunin… if you want to be the best shinobi you can be… then you'd better start acting like you already are!"

Once the grizzly-man stopped speaking, many of the applicants began calculating the odds of one of their teammates completely missing all ten points while the other two managed to hold enough points to keep them in the Chuunin Selection Exams.

"One more thing…" Ibiki suddenly spoke as an afterthought, "If any individual loses all ten of his or her points, that person's entire cell, regardless of how the other two members do… will be disqualified!"

The entire classroom echoed with a horrified 'What?'.

"You have one hour…" Ibiki continued as if he had not heard the gasp, "starting… **NOW**!"

Naruto let out a low whimper as he turned his test over. Ignoring the fact that his Academy teachers, excluding his Iruka-tousan, had purposively marked down his scores, Naruto was quite smart; however, he suffered from test-anxiety. Consciously the blonde _knew_ the answers, but subconsciously he would second-guess himself. _Don't panic._ The petite houshi told himself as he looked at the first question. _Whoa. First up is cryptography. They want us to work our butts off!_

The young shinobi continued looking through all ten questions, mentally marking which ones he could answer easily and which ones he could not. And frighteningly Naruto discovered that most he could not answer. Then there was question ten.

QUESTION NUMBER 10

THIS QUESTION WILL NOT BE PROVIDED UNTIL FORTY-FIVE MINUTES INTO THE EXAM. AT THAT TIME, PLEASE ANSWER THE PROCTOR'S QUESTION TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.

Sasuke found himself glaring at the company of proctors sitting along the walls. He was angry to discover that he could not answer a single question, and question ten seemed to taunt him with its mysteriousness. _They're watching us._ Sasuke mentally growled, _Like cats watch mice. Like they expect us to cheat. Those rats!_

_Rule number 2..._ Sakura nibbled on her lower lip, _make it pretty clear that we're competing against each other. Obviously, only the teams that keep the most points will be allowed to pass. I just wish I knew where the cut-off lies. How many of the top teams can pass… Not that knowing would change anything… but the uncertainty is driving me nuts._

"You know…" A Sand-Nin suddenly broke the heavy silence as he stood up, "the one thing I keep wondering… is how many of the top ranking teams they intend to pass."

Ibiki darkly chuckled at the shinobi's statement.

"Knowing that now isn't going to help you, is it? Unless you're hoping to fail." The proctor sneered.

"I-I'm sorry…"

_If only about ten of the fifty-one team here can pass…_ Sakura thought as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, _all three of us have to retain as many points as possible. The system is set up so it almost __**forces**__ you to cheat._

_I just hope Sasuke and Naruto don't panic and try to take that way out._ The pinkette mentally prayed then looked up to see her otouto two rows in front of her.

~Naruto-dono…~ Ka'a's voice was low and calming as his many tails caressed his houshi's arms, ~Remain calm…~

~I-I can't…~ Naruto whimpered as he cast a nervous glance toward the proctors against the wall, ~with so many proctors looking over our shoulders, they're probably watching every little thing everyone of us does… making notes about us in their grade books!~

~Don't think about them, my dear Jailer.~ The ancient spirit instructed.

~Easier said than done.~

At this Ka'a only chuckled but continued to caress the petite blonde, calming him so he could think.

_If you let the proctors catch you cheating, you'll bring yourself and your friends down!_ Ibiki's words taunted the blonde's mind.

_Yeah… no pressure…_

_If you aspire to become Chuunin…_ Ibiki's words continued to flow, but this time, Naruto felt something.

_If you want to be the best shinobi you can be…_ The blonde suddenly realized that there was more to the grizzly man's words.

_Then you better start acting like you already are!_

_Hold it!_ Naruto gasped then groaned in disbelief, _Unbelievable… this is an 'intelligence' test… in more than just the academic sense!_

~Ka'a!~ The blonde send, ~They're also testing our information-gathering skills! They **want** us to cheat… like shinobi! Without getting caught!~

~Intriguing…~ Ka'a purred at the prospect of the game that his blonde Host had found himself in. The ancient fox then went over what the scarred man had said about the scoring process.

~Ah-ha…~ The Nine-Tail spirit exclaimed.

~Hunh?~ Naruto blinked, ~What is it?~

~You can only be caught four times before you face disqualification.~ The fox began, ~You're not being tested on whether or not you know the answers…~

~But on how skillfully we can discover them!~ Naruto finished.

Suddenly Naruto stiffened as he felt the subtle change in the air and in the Heart Songs around him.

~It would seem that some have figured it out as well.~ Ka'a purred, which caused Naruto to smile.

WHOOSH

Naruto stilled as he felt the air cut across his cheek, causing Ka'a to growl.

THOK

"Aah!" A Nin behind the blonde exclaimed in shock, causing everyone to pause and taking a peek at what was going on. The Konoha-Nin then stood up and demanded, "Wh-what was that for?"

"That's five strikes…" Urchin-head smirked, "and you're out!"

"N… no way…" The Konoha-Nin stuttered.

"Take your teammates with you." Urchin-head stated, "Out of this classroom. Now."

"Dang!" The ousted ninja grumbled as he and his two teammates trudged out of the classroom.

"You're done here." Urchin-head gloated, "Move it!"

Naruto watched the scene with wide-eyes. He could not believe at how sharp-eyed the proctors were, which made him very nervous at the prospect that he would have to 'cheat' to answer the rest of his test. It was then he heard scratching. His eyes blinked, and he locked gaze with Urchin-head's friend, who just looked at the blonde with a smirk. The knowing smirk caused the petite blonde to bristle in anger. Then on impulse, Naruto gave the proctor a raspberry.

_That is either very brave…_ A quiet voice chuckled in amusement, _or very foolish._

Sapphire blue gems blinked owlishly as the blonde looked upon a translucent figure of a Konoha-Nin. There was something familiar about the specter that Naruto could not place. The spirit was tall and young. He had short, unkempt wavy hair - an eternal case of bed-head, and his eyes were dark, almost ebony in color. The Konoha-ghost had markings around his eyes that gave them an almost cat-like appearance. The phantom wore dark clothing with a high-collar, much like Sasuke.

_Oh!_ Naruto gasped as he realized why the spirit looked familiar.

"You're an Uchiha!" Naruto mouthed the words out, afraid that if he whispered then the proctors might think he was 'cheating'.

The Uchiha-spirit blinked in surprise then nodded.

_I can help you answer those questions._ The spirit offered.

This caused the blonde to smile brightly, which caused the spirit to be surprised once again before his expression became thoughtful. Naruto tiled his head to the side and was about to ask if the phantom was alright when said specter spoke again.

_I am Shisui._ The Uchiha bowed, _And I __**too**__ am your humble servant._


	10. Chapter 10

_**~Scroll 9~**_

At the half hour mark, the test continued in full force, and Naruto found himself at an impasse. With the help of the spirit, Shisui, the petite houshi was able to answer all nine questions. All that was left was question 10, and not even Shisui had a clue as to what the final question could be. The only thing that the blonde could do was wait.

He took a deep breath and stretched his senses out to feel his teammates. He could feel Sasuke's smugness and his 'nee-chan's relief. This told him that his teammates were doing fine, and that once the tenth question was revealed, he and the others would be able to move onto the next portion of the exam.

The blonde began to relax at the knowledge that he completed the test - the bane of his existence, and at the sound of his 'nee-chan's Heart Song. He found it odd that amidst the chaos and the pressure of this test that he could hear the pinkette's Song so clearly. Usually his 'nee-chan's Song was chaotic and unfocused as if she had yet found her niche in the world, but here at that moment, she was focused, which revealed a beautiful Heart Song that held so much potential. Closing his sapphire-oceanic blues, the petite houshi just happily listened and reminded himself to talk to his 'nee-chan about what drives her. Perhaps that would help her become a stronger person.

Suddenly as he listened to the beautiful Heart Song, bright blue eyes snapped open when he heard an ugly scratch in his 'nee-chan's Song. Taking a risk, Naruto glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes narrowed at what he saw.

Sakura sat at her desk with her back straight and her head tilted low. But the blonde knew that that person sitting at his 'nee-chan's desk was not his Sakura. The blonde could see the faint outline of Ino overlapping the pinkette.

~How intriguing…~ Ka'a remarked, catching the petite shinobi's attention.

~What?~

~That female has the ability of astral-projection.~

~Hunh?~ Naruto blinked then looked up when he heard his new friend, Shisui, chuckle.

"Shisui, do you know what astral-projection is?" The young Genin mouthed.

_Astral-projection is an out-of-body experience._ Shisui began, _One's spiritual essence, or soul, leaves the body and travels wherever one wishes. The Yamanaka Clan uses this ability as a form of mind control._

Naruto's eyes grew wide in horror at the thought that anyone could invade another's personal thoughts. It made the blonde shiver. Ka'a wrapped his many tails around his beautiful Host. He understood his houshi's horror. To share one's mind and inner thoughts was akin to sharing one's soul, it was an extremely intimate moment but this…

" 'Nee-chan…" The blonde whimpered for the pinkette.

Shisui watched in confusion at the blonde's distress while Ka'a purred soothing words and promises that they would teach the kunoichi how to protect herself from this form of attack.

As the ancient fox calmed his houshi, the pair froze.

~Ka'a?~ Naruto send, ~Was that you?~

For a brief moment, the petite shinobi felt a subtle flare-up of youki, demonic aura. The flare-up was barely noticeable, being masked by the number of chakra in the classroom. Naruto too would have missed it if he was not already familiar with the dark and malevolent feel of youki.

~No,~ Ka'a growled, ~that was not I…~

Sapphire blue orbs grew wide once more in understanding, this caused Shisui to be alarmed for the little blonde. His expressions were so readable that the spirit was surprised that the proctors had not kicked the blonde out.

_Naruto, what is it?_ Shisui asked as he placed a cool hand on the young Genin's cheek.

"There's a youkai here."

_Youkai?_

"A demon…"

The spirit blinked in surprise as he looked at the blonde with concealed calculation.

_A demon? Are you sure, Little One?_

"Yes…" Naruto replied, "I recognized the feel… it's not like Ka'a's… not like fire - warm and yet destructive… it's more…" The blonde narrowed his eyes as he tried to describe what he was sensing.

He had thought that it was only Ka'a's aura which possessed heat since the fox's element was fire. However, it would seem that all youkai possessed heat in their youki. But this demonic aura did not possess the same warmth as Ka'a. This dark ki was hot and suffocating as if the heat was weighing down on him.

"Get ready for the tenth question!" Ibiki's voice growled, breaking Naruto's thoughts and concentration in the search of the other youkai.

The flare-up then disappeared, leaving no residual of its existence.

"All right!" The lead proctor called the classroom to order, "Here it comes. Get ready for the tenth question. And before we get to the question itself… I'm adding one more new rule."

Suddenly the Sand-Nin, Kankuro, walked into the classroom with what looked like a proctor.

"Heh… looks like you're in luck." Ibiki told the foreign shinobi, "The time you've spent playing with dolls hasn't been completely wasted."

Kankuro paused. _Does… does he know about Scarecrow?_

"Don't worry about it." Ibiki dismissed, "Sit down."

Kankuro obeyed the order, and as he walked past his teammate, Tamari, he slipped a piece of paper into her hand.

"Let me explain." The proctor began, "This rule… is absolute."

_An absolute rule…?_ Naruto thought as he heard a deeper meaning behind the scarred shinobi's words.

"First…" Ibiki continued, "You must choose… whether to accept or reject this tenth question!"

_Accept or reject…?_ Sasuke frowned.

"Ch-choose?" Tamari exclaimed, "What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?"

The proctor took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

"If you reject the question and don't even try to answer it," Ibiki then answered, "you'll lose all your points immediately… and fail! And both of your teammates will fail right along with you."

"Say what?" Shouted a Nin from Rain.

"Then why would anyone choose to reject it?" A Suna shinobi followed up.

"Because… of the other rule." Ibiki calmly stated, "If you try to answer the questions… and you get it wrong… you will never be permitted to apply for the journeyman ninja exams again. Not ever."

"You can't be serious." Kiba barked, "That's ridiculous! There are ninja here who've sat for the Chuunin Exams more than once already! We know there are!"

Ibiki coldly laughed, startling and frightening the remaining of the classroom.

"Just your rotten luck." Ibiki growled out, "I wasn't making the rules in past years. I am now.

"I've been up front with you. You can take a failing grade now, and try again later. Anyone who has doubts would be smart to reject the tenth questions right now. Come back and reapply next year, and the year after that."

_Talk about a no-win situation!_ Sakura thought as she assaulted her lower lip, _If even one member of a cell rejects the question, then all three team members fail for the year. If anyone accepts the question and can't answer it… he'll be stuck at the junior level for the rest of his life!_

_Heads you win, tails we lose! No sane person could make such a choice!_

"Ready?" The lead proctor purred, "Then let's begin. Those who choose not to accept should raise their hands. Once their number has been confirmed, they will leave the room."

A heavy silence fell over the Chuunin-applicants as each applicant were deep in thought, deciding not only their own fate but those of their teammates as well.

_What in the name of Kami?_ Naruto thought as his eyes narrowed on the grizzly of a man, _Accept… Don't accept… what sort of choices are those?_

Slowly a shaky hand rose from the corner of the blonde's eye. Looking to his left, the petite houshi watched as a trembling Konoha shinobi slowly rose to his feet.

"I-I…" The ninja stuttered, "I quit! I'm rejecting the question!"

~Listen, Naruto-dono…~ Ka'a purred, which caused the young Genin to tilt his head to the side.

"Genna! Inako!" The shinobi beseeched, "Please forgive me!"

It was then that the lithe shinobi heard a subtle shift in the Konoha-Nin's Heart Song.

"Number 50! Failed!" A proctor called, "Number 130! Number 111! You fail right along with him."

Two more shinobi stood up.

Another shift in a Heart Song could be heard.

"Curses…" Another ninja muttered, followed by another shinobi crying out, "M-me too!"

Slowly a few more stated their rejections, and with each rejection, Naruto could hear more and more of the subtle shift in the Heart Songs. It was as if the Heart Songs were skipping and pausing, much like one's own heart would when afraid.

_Fear!_ The blonde mentally gasped in understanding. He was able to associate the shift with the scent of fear. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Now, he understood the grizzly man's purpose. He was sent to weed out the weak-of-heart, but he had miscalculated in his approach. Naruto knew and understood the nature of fear. It was like an infectious disease. Once infected, it spread like wildfire, and if left unchecked, there was only two options to cure a disease; freeze or burn. But if caught in time, disease and fear can be a source of a cure and of inner strength.

Slowly sapphire blue gems opened as he raised his hand. He could sense his teammates gasp in shock.

SLAM

"_{__**NEVER**__ underestimate me!}_" The houshi growled out in his special timbre, "I don't quit, and I won't run! I'll accept your question! Even if I risk ending up a rookie for the rest of my life… I'll still become the best person I can be and protect my precious ones! I'm not afraid of you, Bear!"

Ibiki slowly blinked. It was the only sign he showed that he was surprised at being called a 'bear'.

"I'll ask you one last time." The lead proctor growled, "This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now, while you still have the chance."

"I never go back on your world." Naruto calmly declared.

The room became silent as each remaining applicant began to sit taller and more proudly. They took heart in the blonde's words. Yes, they were afraid. They were afraid to fail, but they also knew that they could not let that fear rule them. They were not about to let fear to destroy their dreams. They were going to continue on with their dreams, regardless of today's outcome.

Ibiki stood in front of the classroom with a small smile on his face. _Seventy-eight of them are still here._ Ibiki thought then laid his eyes on Naruto, _… Interesting. He dispelled everyone else's doubts… more than I __**expected**__ but… there's no point in dragging it out. Thanks to him… no one else will quit._ With a quick glance toward the other proctors, who nodded their heads. Ibiki felt himself relax.

"Good call." The lead proctor declared, "So, everyone who is still here…"

The classroom echoed with sharp inhales as everyone waited with abated breath for the final question that would define them and their future.

"You've just passed the first exam!"


	11. Chapter 11

_**~Scroll 10~**_

There was an unheard 'Hunh?' as everyone stared at Ibiki with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

"What do you mean, 'passed'?" Sakura squeaked out, "When did that happen? What about the tenth question?"

"There is no tenth question…" Ibiki impishly grinned, "beyond the whole 'accept or reject' thing."

"Hunh?" The pinkette exclaimed when suddenly Tamari of Suna exploded.

"Hey! Then why did we have to suffer through the other nine questions? That was a total waste of our time!"

"There was no waste." Ibiki dismissively stated, "Those questions had a purpose, which they've already serve."

"Such as?" The blonde kunoichi questioned.

"Our goal was to test your skills at spying!" The grizzly man said as a matter of fact.

"… our skills at spying?" She repeated dubiously.

"Remember the rules at the beginning?" The lead proctor began explaining, "You pass or fail as part of a three-man cell. With that rule, I pressure you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring you teammates down with you."

Tamari's expression clearly stated, 'Okay, so…'

"However…" Ibiki drawled out, "The questions are beyond the level that junior ninja could be expected to handle. So most of you… having reached that same conclusion had only one way of retaining your points - by cheating.

"In other words… we set up the test on the assumption you'd cheat. And to ensure there would be suitable targets for you to cheat from, we snuck in a pair of ringers… Two Chuunin ninja who already knew all the answers."

The two Chuunin in question chuckled as they grinned.

Naruto looked at his spirit companion and silently asked, "Shisui, are you a ringer too?"

This caused the specter to laugh, which had the effect of making the ghost look younger and far friendlier than was expected of an Uchiha.

_I suppose so._ Shisui admitted.

"It took me forever to figure out who they were!"

"Oh, yeah. Me too." Two Nin boldly boasted, which made Naruto to wrinkle his nose at their bold-face lie.

"Of course," Ibiki began again as he reached up to his bandana, "anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed."

Ibiki then removed his bandana and revealed his scar-covered scalp. His hairless head was covered in burn marks, sunken flesh where puncture wounds healed and raised flesh where slashed wounds also healed. All of this indicated that the grizzly man had been methodically and vindictively tortured.

"Because there may be circumstances where being caught in an act of espionage can cost you more than just your life." Ibiki continued, "You pay in ways that can be taken from you little by little, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance."

Many of the remaining applicants winced at the sight of the wounds, with the exception of the Oto-Nin.

_Cool… I bet his hands are even worse! But that's what he gets for being dumb enough to get captured. It'll never happen to me!_

Even Gaara of Suna looked upon the lead proctor in respect.

Ibiki then replaced the bandana back on his head, hiding his scars.

"The information you obtain can't be trusted…" The proctor stated, "if you can't keep your presence secret from the enemy. Learn that and learn it well. If you bring back intelligence from a suspect source or a compromised operation… you're doing your enemies' work for them, putting those you serve in danger.

"That is why we maneuvered you into using your espionage skills to cheat. It was the quickest way of weeding out the students whose skills aren't yet up to snuff."

"Okay…" Tamari drawled, "But what was the deal with the tenth question?"

Ibiki grinned.

"Ah! The tenth question was the real test of the exam."

"What on earth do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Let me explain," He stated, "the tenth question was a choice between two options… that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject were failed, and their friends along with them. Those who chose to accept and couldn't answer the question… lost any chance of ever even trying again. It was a nasty, unfair, no-win set of options.

"So why did I present them? Let's suppose you all go on to successfully attain the rank of Chuunin. You are assigned to steal a vital enemy document… knowing nothing about the skills, deployment, or military preparedness of your foe. You may have to cross a territory that has been heavily mined and set with traps. Now…

"Do you accept your mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your own life - or the lives of your companions - in jeopardy? Could any Chuunin get away with only taking on the safe jobs? Of course not!

"No matter how dangerous the risk… there will be missions that you cannot decline. A ninja must demonstrate valor that inspires those around him… helping all to overcome their fear."

Suddenly Naruto brightly smiled as he realized that the grizzly man had not miscalculated by instilling fear in the Chuunin applicants. He had done it on purpose to find the one ninja, who could inspire others.

~And he found you, Naruto-dono.~ Ka'a purred.

"This is the talent that we most value in the commander of a Chuunin cell!" Ibiki continued, "Those who can't gamble with their own fate… who would trade today's certain risk for tomorrow's uncertain future… never taking the chance that lies before them are weaklings who make only weak and easy decisions.

"In my opinion, they don't belong in the ranks of the Chuunin at all!

"By choosing to accept, you answered the almost - insoluble tenth question correctly. If you can keep that spirit, you can probably conquer all of the many doubts and difficulties you'll face. You've passed the first hurdle. Part one of the Chuunin Selection Exams now concluded. I'll pray you fight the good fight!"

Naruto just smiled, which Ibiki returned, when he suddenly sat up straight and looked at the window on Ibiki's right.

It was then that the grizzly man felt an intense and slightly psychotic ma'ai, a warrior's aura, coming from his right.

"LOOK OUT!" The blonde Genin called out as the classroom echoed with a thunderous CRASH!

In the flurry of the chaos, Ibiki could only sigh as he realized who it was that had caused such chaos.

When the smoke and debris finally settled, the Chuunin applicants found themselves staring at a woman, who stood before a dark colored clothe with the words _NEWLY ARRIVED SECOND CHIEF EXAMINATION OFFICER MITARASHI ANKO _painted on it. The woman was small compared to Ibiki's impressive size of 6 foot three, but even at 5 foot four, the mysterious woman exuded an aura that was hard to ignore. She wore a single piece of closely knit mesh suit that covered her breast just enough to not be indecent. She even wore a light tan mini-skirt with a matching-colored trench coat. She had white-bone shin guards, and around her neck, she wore a makeshift necklace with a serpent's fang as its pendent. She had dark hair that was flipped and pinned up, giving her a feathered appearance. Her dull green eyes were hard and cold.

"None of you are in any position to celebrate." She roared, "I am the second chief examination officer… Mitarashi Anko! Time's a-wasten', people. Let's go! Follow me!"

Silence followed.

"Can't you sense the mood in here?" Ibiki teased.

Anko was about to retort when she finally took note of the classroom.

"Seventy-eight of you are still here?" She exclaimed in disbelief then she turned on Ibiki, "Ibiki! You passed twenty-six teams? Obviously you went too easy on them."

"This year," Ibiki smiled, "we have applicants of exceptional caliber."

"Yeah right." She dismissed, "I'll cut down the number by half before the next test is done."

This announcement unnerved the remaining applicants.

"Ooh! I get charged up just thinking about it! I'll explain things as soon as we move to our next location… so follow me!"

The applicants reluctantly followed their next proctor, leaving Ibiki and his proctors behind. The grizzly man then dismissed his men for the day as he went about to pick up the test papers. He came upon where Uzumaki Naruto sat. There was not a single adult in Konoha who did not know who the blonde was, and Ibiki was amazed to see such a fine young man that the blonde had become. He picked up Naruto's test paper and stared at it wide-eyed.

All of the questions had been answered and answered correctly. _He is a very intriguing young man._ Ibiki thought. He was going to keep a closer eye on him. The blonde posed a puzzle, and Ibiki just loved puzzles.

* * *

It was half an hour later when all twenty-six teams resettled outside in front of a fenced-off forest with rusted and faded signs. One sign warned against trespassing. Another warned of the penalties for trespassing, and the third stated that the forest area was Training Ground 44. Many of the Chuunin applicants looked at the tightly packed trees which gave the forest a dark and ominous feel to all, save for one.

Naruto stood in the foreground as he looked into the forest. He could feel the forest's energies flowing, even reaching out to him. He could feel Ka'a relaxing at the feel of being so close to a forest. Ka'a and he were creatures of the forest. The forest was their home, regardless of where that forest was. Naruto smiled as he mentally agreed with Ka'a's statement.

~We have the advantage.~

"This is the arena for the second exam: Training Ground 44." Anko purred in delight, "Also known as… the Forest of Death!"

"It looks like a pretty creepy place." Sakura whispered then looked over to her otouto, who looked completely relaxed at the sight of the black forest.

Anko darkly laughed at the nervous expressions on the applicants' faces.

"You're about to find out first hand why they call this 'the Forest of Death'!"

Naruto blinked as he heard Anko's Heart Song begin to race in anticipation. It made his own heart pound. It was as if she was a rabid predator on the hunt, but she was not hunting for food. She was hunting for sport.

"Only those foolish enough who don't respect Nature will incur the wrath of the forest." Naruto boldly stated as he glared at the rabid woman.

"Oh, really?" Anko grinned, "You're pretty cocky, huh?"

"And you are rabid." The blonde countered. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he felt a sharp sting on his left cheek, and Anko had disappeared from his sight.

"Heh. Your kind are the always the first to go." She purred from behind the blonde.

_Naruto!_

~Naruto-dono!~ Shisui and Ka'a shouted in horror that their young Charge's blood had been shed.

Naruto froze in horror as he felt Anko lean forward. He also felt something wet caress against his injured cheek.

"Spilling all that rich, red, lovely, luscious blood…" Anko purred. _His blood… there's something sweet about it…_ she thought as she went for a second lap.

Suddenly she flicked out another kunai as she blocked a kunai wrapped around something pink.

"Your kunai knife…" An effeminate voice cooed.

The stranger was only a little taller than Anko by about four inches and thin built. The foreigner wore a wide-brim reed-hat to shade milky white complexion. The outsider's clothing, black body suit fitting like a second skin and a loose grayish-tan long sleeved tunic secured by a strange purple obi, revealed nothing of the stranger's gender. The androgynous creature had long, lush raven-black hair and dark eyes.

"I believe you dropped it." The long-hair being cooed.

"Gee… thanks." Anko replied as she glared at the stranger, who interrupted her second taste of the blonde's sweet blood.

_RUN!_ Shisui ordered, which the young houshi obeyed without second thought.

The blonde immediately ran into the arms of his 'nee-chan. Sasuke then placed himself between his blonde and the two nut jobs in front of him. The other Rookie Nine looked on in concern and confusion. They had never seen the blonde act this way.

_Naruto?_

~Naruto-dono…~ Shisui and Ka'a called, trying to calm their young Charge down.

The forest moaned in response to Naruto's panic, startling the other applicants unaware of the blonde's special connection to the forest.

"Don't just stand behind me…" Anko pouted at loosing the blonde, "radiating bloodlust… unless you're in a hurry to die."

"I'll try to keep it under control…" The effeminate creature replied as the long pink tongue retracted, "but the sight of warm, fresh blood really makes me crazy… and I was already revved up… from losing a strand of my precious hair."

"Sorry about that." She was hardly apologetic then said more to herself, "Looks like we have a hot-blooded team on our hands this time out! Heh… should be fun…

"Before we begin the second exam…"Anko sighed, "There's something I have to hand out."

This caused the applicants to look at one another curiously.

"They're consent forms. Everybody has to sign one."

"Why?" Someone from the crowd asked.

"We want all the details covered before the first death occur." She laughed, "Sign before you go in, so we can't be held liable. You wouldn't want me to get in trouble, would you?"

The applicants reluctantly came closer to receive their forms.

"First, I'll explain what the second exam entails. Then you can sign the forms. With the other two members of your cell, bring the forms to the hut behind you and submit them.

"Got that? Now, about the exam. To put it simply… it's a no-holds barred survival test."

_Survival, eh?_ Shikamaru sighed in annoyance as he took the consent form, _Another pain-in-the-neck exam! Bleah!_

"Let's start with the topography of this training ground. I'll explain the rest later." She said as she pulled out a map.

"Training Ground #44," She continued, "is bordered by a circular perimeter, interrupted at regular intervals by forty-four locked gates. There are forests and a river… and in the center in a tower… about ten kilometers from those gates. Within the confines of this carefully delineated area, you're going to undergo a survival test.

"During the course of that test, you may use any ninja arts or weapons you have at your disposal. It's a kind of fight-to-the-death version of 'capture the flag'… or in this case, 'capture the scroll'."

"Scroll?" A shinobi from Waterfall asked.

"Exactly!" She cheered, "There's a 'Scroll of Heaven' and a 'Scroll of Earth'… and your objective is to acquire both scrolls. There are seventy-eight of you here. That's twenty-six three-member teams. Thirteen teams will start out with a Heaven Scroll… and the other thirteen will start with an Earth Scroll. But you'll need both scrolls to pass. So your objective is to hold on to your scroll, get your hands on one of the other kind… and then bring them both… to the tower at the center."

"In other words, at least half of us - thirteen teams whose scrolls are stolen - will fail." Sakura analyzed.

"You bet! And there's a time limit!" Anko chirped, "You have 120 hours in which to complete this exam - exactly five days!"

"Five days?" Ino exclaimed.

"What are we supposed to do for food?" Choji nearly cried.

"That's your problem." Anko answered dismissively, "The forests are full of nature's bounty. Of course, they're also full of man-eating animals, deadly insects, and poisonous plants. There's no way as many thirteen teams will pass this. As the time shortens, the trails will come harder and faster… with less recovery time for any mistakes, accidents, or injuries. You'll be surrounded by enemies at all times, so you'll have to sleep with one eye open.

"So, in addition to those who die in attempts to defend or capture a scroll… some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, starvation, and dehydration. Now let's talk about the rules… and what defenses you can be disqualified for! Obviously, the teams that fail to reach the tower in time - as a three-member cell, carrying both a Heaven and an Earth scroll - are out.

"So is any team that loses a member, whether to death or to severe injury. And under no circumstance can you leave the forest before the time is up. No recess. No time-outs. Also… you're forbidden to look at the contents of the scrolls until you're inside the tower!"

"What happens if we sneak a peek?" Someone asked.

"That's for those who look to know!" She easily answered, "If any of you make it to the Chuunin level, there will be times when you'll be entrusted with top-secret documents as consider this a test of your trustworthiness. That's all the explanation you get. When you've got yours, choose the gate you want to start from. Everyone will begin at the same time."

Then as she moved toward an enclosed shack, she turned around and said.

"One final of advice… stay alive!"

"It's almost time to distribute the scrolls." A Konoha proctor stated.

Immediately all twenty-six teams gathered to the side as each individual team approached the shack.

_Smart!_ Sasuke observed, _To keep us in the dark, they're concealing which type of scroll each team gets… and which member is carrying it! It's just like that guy Ibiki said… stealing intelligence is a matter of life and death! Everyone is an enemy! Especially that bitch, Anko! How dare she hurt _my_ dobe? And taste his blood! When this is over…_

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered as she rubbed circles on his back, "you okay?"

"W-will be…" Naruto whimpered, "Once we get in the forest… we'll be safe there…"

At Naruto's comment, Sasuke frowned.

"What the hell was that about." The raven-haired Genin demanded.

"That man…" Naruto whispered as his bright blue eyes watched the long-haired creature head toward Gate 15, "is unclean… he's evil…"

"So was Zabuza and his little pet." Sasuke stated with his arms crossed. This caused Naruto to snap at his teammate.

"Zabuza and Haku weren't evil, Sasuke!" The blonde growled, "That man is! We better stay away from him! He reeks of death!"

Onyx black orbs blinked in surprise that his blonde would talk back at him in such a manner. If he had not needed his dobe in top condition, he would have taught the little blonde a lesson.

"You're nothing more than a scaredy-cat." Sasuke spat out then went to the shack, not bothering to check to see if his teammates were following.

"Naruto?" Sakura called when she noted a pensive look on her usually care-free otouto.

"Sakura-nee-chan, something bad is gonna happen… and that man is gonna be…"

"Naruto," The pinkette whispered as she wrapped her arms around her otouto, "I feel it too… but there's nothing we can do now… except watch each other's back."

The blonde looked up to see that his 'nee-chan was also looking at the other Rookie Nine.

"You're right, 'nee-chan. But let's also hope that I'm wrong."

"Yeah…" Was all she said then followed her team leader into the shack.

Team 7 turned in their consent forms as Naruto was handed the Heaven Scroll. Immediately the blonde hid it in the folds of his top then followed his teammates to Gate 12, not thrilled that they were three gates away from _that man_. As they headed to their gate, Naruto made a quick mental note of where his friends were.

Kiba, Hinata and Shino were at Gate 16. Shikamaru, Choji and Ino were at Gate 27. Kabuto's team were at Gate 38.

"All right," Anko shouted, "everyone, follow your proctors to your respective gates! When the signal sounds in half an hour, the exam will begin!"

As everyone did as instructed, the twenty-six teams waited anxiously for their proctor to start the second portion of the exam.

"Part two of the journeyman ninja selection exam begins… **NOW!**"

All the teams then bolted.

"All right!" Sasuke grunted, "Let's go!"


	12. Chapter 12

_**~Scroll 11~**_

In a small clearing, Kiba, Hinata and Shino gathered and began devising a plan of action.

"The tower's where everyone is ultimately going," Kiba began, "so we might as well set traps as close to there as possible."

To which Shino seemed to nod his head in agreement when suddenly Akamaru let out a low whimper.

"Found them already, huh?" Kiba whispered to his familiar, "Where are they?"

~Page Break~

Hidden up in the trees, another Konoha team, dressed in complete black, watched their prey.

"Stupid kids," One of the trio muttered to his teammates, "they might as well be shouting, 'Capture us!' From the sounds of things, they know we're somewhere nearby… but they haven't figured out where yet."

Suddenly he stilled as his back muscles involuntarily twitched.

"What's wrong?" Asked his companion, "You're as white as a sheet."

"Agh!"

SQUIRM

SHLUK

"What _is_ that thing?" His companion gasped when he saw a huge leech-like creature attached to the Nin's neck.

PLOP PLOP

The unaffected shinobi looked up.

"**AAAAAGH!**"

The Konoha team dropped to the ground. Unaware that they have fallen into a net.

SWOOP

The net flew into the air, capturing the black-clad team as they screamed for help.

Standing beneath them was their prey.

"The flying leeches of Konoha village," Kiba snickered at the other team's predicament, "can sense perspiration and body heat and fling themselves en masse! If you can't get them off your body within five minutes, you're finished. And if you panic trying to get away from them… well… one team down!"

* * *

"AAAAGH!"

"Well…" Anko darkly chuckled, "that was fast!"

* * *

"Did you guys hear someone," Sakura whispered, "scream? This place is creeping me out!"

"It's nothing, 'nee-chan." Naruto assured the pinkette, "Someone was just stupid enough to fall into a leech nest."

Sasuke arched a brow as he observed his blonde looking around.

"And how would you know that, dobe?"

"The forest told me… be right back!" The petite houshi chirped as he bounded toward a cluster of trees.

"Hey! Where are we going?" Sakura squeaked.

"I gotta go!" Was the only response they got.

A few minutes later, the blonde returned with a goofy grin on his face.

Onyx black eyes narrowed.

POW

Sasuke backhanded the blonde.

Sakura gasped as she helplessly watched the petite ninja slam into a tree.

"S-Sasuke…" She whimpered in confusion.

"Wh-what was that for?" The blonde demanded as he wiped the blood from his lips.

"What have you done with Naruto?" The Uchiha viciously growled.

"What?"

"Hello!" The blonde sneered, "I'm right in front of you… bleeding!"

"You're wearing your shuriken throwing stars on your left thigh." The raven-haired teen sneered, "Naruto's right-handed. And you forgot the cut that Naruto got from the proctor just before the exam. You're even worse at disguise spells than the real Naruto."

POP

The clearing was enveloped in smoke.

Charging out of the smoke, a ninja from Rain appeared. He had wild dark hair and wore an outfit more fitting for someone from Konoha Medical Center's Psyche Ward than a ninja.

"Since you've forced me to come clean," The Rain-Nin cackled in a mechanized voice, "why don't you do the same? Which one of you two has the scroll?"

Neither Sasuke and Sakura answered.

"Unfortunately, you've forced me to be direct!" The Rain-Nin muttered then charged.

Sasuke leapt into the air as his hands moved rapidly through seals before stilling on the sign of the Tiger.

"Fire Style! Art of the Phoenix Flower… The Touch-Me-Not!"

The clearing became engulfed in flames, forcing not only the Rain-Nin to flee but Sakura as well.

Sasuke immediately gave chase.

"Sasuke!" A familiar voice called out, causing the raven-haired Genin to look down.

Laying on the ground, Naruto was hog-tied with his wrists and ankles bound together, bowing his body.

The Avenger growled at the thought this low-life had rough-housed his property. With a sharp flick of his wrist, Sasuke released a kunai, which cut the main tie that kept Naruto bound.

"You left an opening - lucky me!" The Rain-Nin cackled as he let loose six daggers and a kunai.

Sasuke quickly hid beneath a thick branch but realized his mistake. _A letter bomb!_

BOOOOOOM

Sasuke dropped to the ground as he felt the exploded tree branch pelt him with debris.

"Ow!" The teen muttered.

"Better and better." The Rain-Nin cooed as he appeared behind then teen, "One false move, and I'll kill you. Now hand over the scroll!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed.

The raven-haired teen gave an amused snort as he felt the ground beneath his feet move.

FWOOM!

Tree roots exploded from the ground, chasing the Rain-Nin away.

"You're not getting away that easy!" Naruto shouted.

_That's my dobe!_ Sasuke mentally cheered then focused his chakra to his left foot, using the chakra energy to pick up the Rain-Nin's dropped kunai, and subconsciously he activated the Sharingan.

With a sharp kick, the Uchiha launched the dropped kunai at the Rain-Nin then launched himself at his enemy.

THAM

Sasuke slammed his body into the Rain-Nin's using the momentum of his body to embed the kunai deeper into his enemy's left shoulder, nearly amputating the enemy's arm.

"Sasuke…" Sakura gasped in horror at the brutality that her one-time crush showed their enemy.

"He gave me no choice!" The raven-haired teen growled vindictively, "Now move! We don't know where his friends are! You got that? Keep standing there, and you'll end up dead!"

The Rain-Nin's eyes grew wide in realization that what he had thought would be easy prey turned out to be his undoing. He quickly freed himself from the Konoha shinobi and fled the clearing without hesitation.

Sasuke could only stare at the cowardice of his retreating foe.

* * *

Half an hour later, Team 7 found themselves in an alcove of tree roots. Sasuke took immediate charge of their little team meeting.

"Remember this." The raven-haired teen ordered, "If we get separated again, we can't trust each other blindly!"

At this, Sakura nodded in agreement while Naruto just listened. The blonde knew that he could tell if one of his teammates was an imposter, but it was an ability only helpful to him since only _he_ can hear Heart Songs.

"But what can we do?" Sakura asked.

"The safest thing is for us to have a secret password." The Uchiha replied, "That way we'll know. No matter who they look like or how they sound, if one of use gets that wrong they're an enemy!"

The blonde suddenly blinked as he felt the ground tremble. He placed a small hand on the ground and let a sliver of his chakra leak into the earth.

"Listen very carefully." Sasuke's voice sounded far away, "I'll say it only once!"

_Sickness… sickness… no growth… sickness… no health… sickness will kill… will kill us… must stop the sickness… _An old and slow voice murmured into the blonde's mind, _… must stop before the sickness kill us…_

"It's a poem called _'Ninki' - 'Ninja Opportunity'_." Sasuke continued, unaware that his blonde was not paying attention to him. "When I ask for it, here's what you respond…

"_We thrived in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate!_"

"Bingo!" Sakura cheered as she easily memorized the poem, startling Naruto from his commune with the earth.

"I'll take the scroll." Sasuke ordered as he stood up and held his hand out.

Sapphire blue orbs blinked in confusion as he heard the Forest's Heart Song shriek.

"Ow!" Naruto winced when he felt a sharp sting on his right cheek. He caressed his cheek and was surprised to see his fingertips were covered in blood. _What the…?_

FWOOM

"YAAAAAH!"

"A new enemy?" Sasuke gasped as Team 7 were assaulted by a rain of debris of rocks, twigs and leaves.

BABOOOOM

The clearing exploded, scattering the members of Team 7 throughout the clearing. Sasuke peaked out of the safety of the bush that he hid under. The clearing appeared to be safe. The raven-haired teen did not see any signs of the enemy but that did not mean that the enemy was not out there. Slowly and quietly, the Uchiha slipped out from his hiding place, looking for his blonde.

"Sasuke!"

The teen turned around with a kunai at the ready.

"Sakura…" He acknowledged, a bit disappointed that it was the pinkette and not his blonde, "What's the password? The _'Ninki'_."

"Oh! Right!" Sakura exclaimed then easily recited the poem.

"Good!" Naruto called out as he climbed over a tree branch, "Yow… are you all right?"

"Not so fast, Naruto!" Sasuke stopped the approaching blonde, who was smiling broadly, "The password?"

"Right." The blonde continued to smile, giving him the appearance of a Nogitsune, a malicious and malevolent fox-spirit. "_'Ninki'_."

As Naruto recited the poem, word for word, Sakura could not help but listen to her inner-self, who was screaming at her that that blonde was not her otouto. When the said blonde finished, the pinkette watched as her one-time crush seem to accept the Nogitsune-blonde as their friend.

FWIP

Acting on instinct, Sakura threw a kunai at the Nogitsune, who dodged it effortlessly.

"HEYY!" The blonde cried out.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" Sasuke demanded as he watched the trembling pinkette. Teammate or not, the Uchiha mentally promised to make her pay if she had harmed his blonde.

"That's not Naruto!" She gasped as her trembles became more pronounced when the Nogitsune's expression became even more evil.

The Nogitsune darkly chuckled.

"Well done!" The imposter stated as the henge was dropped, revealing the Grass-Nin who terrified Naruto, "What gave me away?"

"N-Naruto is no Nogitsune!" The pinkette shouted, which caused the Grass-Nin to chuckle again as the shinobi removed his straw hat.

"I see… this is going to be more fun than I thought!"

* * *

"Unh…" Naruto grunted as he slowly righted himself up, "Oww…"

_Naruto, are you alright?_ Shisui asked in concern.

~Naruto-dono…~

"Yeah, I'm fine…" The young houshi mumbled, "just a bit bruised… promise."

~Have these exams always been so…~ Ka'a growled, agitated that his Host was in such danger, and he could do nothing!

The petite blonde sighed as he slowly stood up and brushed the dust off of him.

_Naruto?_

"I'm okay, Shisui." The young Genin replied, "It's just Ka'a is frustrated…"

_Ka'a?_

Naruto gave the spirit a pointed look, which caused the specter to look sheepish. The blonde knew that the spirit was aware of his imprisoned companion, and although the phantom may not know the Nine-Tail's name, the Uchiha ghost was no idiot.

_The Fox…_ The phantom acknowledged, feeling childish for trying to play dumb with the petite Genin, _The Fox is worried._

"Yeah… Hunh?" Naruto blinked when the sun became blocked.

_Naruto! Run!_ Shisui shouted as sapphire blue orbs gazed up at the source of the sudden shade.

~Oh, goody… a serpent.~ Ka'a bared his fangs.

"KA'A!" The blonde yelped in concern at his companion's sudden agitation.

~This is _our_ domain! Snake!~ The Fox-Spirit hissed at the sight of the kitsune's natural prey.

||Khhht… ihh… sssmell… yhouu..|| The giant snake hissed, ||Yhouu… bhee… delishissss…||

Suddenly Ka'a's youki flared in anger at the thought that a prey would think itself the predator over a fox.

Naruto gasped in surprise at the sudden flux of youki flooding his veins. He felt the burning heat that was common to Ka'a's demonic aura flow through every cell and fiber of his being. The heat seemed to bare down on him, making it difficult for him to breath. For a brief moment, Naruto feared that Ka'a's overwhelming ki would consume him when suddenly he found his breath, and the heat dissipated into a gentle breeze.

_NARUTO!_ Shisui screamed.

~Naruto-dono…?~ Ka'a whispered in concern as he remembered to control himself. He had forgotten that his beautiful Jailer had not received the proper training of the houshi. And although by blood itself, the petite teen was immune to the malevolent of Ka'a's youki. Too much demonic aura in such a short time was still a threat to any inexperienced houshi.

"Hunh?" The petite blonde blinked, "Ano… where did the snake go?"

The simple and innocent question caused both the spirit and fox-demon to relax. Their Naruto was alright.

A strong breeze blew through the area, scattering mysterious ash into the winds and throughout the forest.

_It's gone, Little One._ Shisui sighed in relief.

When the giant snake first appeared and threatened to eat the young fox-vessel, Shisui felt helpless. He could do nothing but stand-by and watch. In that moment, the Uchiha phantom understood the imprisoned fox's frustration. But suddenly as the snake was about to strike, the small blonde began to glow with strange tribal markings on his flesh, and for a brief moment, those sapphire oceanic gems were a striking amethyst. And when the snake was in striking distance, the glow around the blonde intensified, and the snake disappeared into a pile of dust, being carried away by the winds.

"What happened?"

~You purified the serpent.~ Ka'a quietly stated.

~Ka'a! Are you okay?~ Naruto's eyes grew wide as he understood what Ka'a had said. Purification, although a quick process, was a painful way to die for any youkai.

~Yes, my Beautiful One.~ The ancient demon honestly answered, ~Your ki calmed my own… I am more concern about you…~

~Why?~

~I was reckless…~ Ka'a replied as he bowed in submission to his Jailer, ~I had placed you in danger, my gentle Houshi.~

~What are you talking about, Ka'a?~ The blonde did not like the way his friend subjugated himself to the young Genin.

~In my temper,~ Ka'a quietly whispered, ~you were forced to reveal yourself as Kami's Child.~

Naruto then paled as he remembered his 'tousan's warning.


	13. Chapter 13

_**~Scroll 12~**_

Sakura and Sasuke stood face-to-face before the mysterious Grass-Nin, who seemed more interested in Sasuke than Sakura felt was natural. Before any of them could demand questions, all three stilled as they felt a wave of an awesome power flooding the area. The pinkette's eyes grew wide as she immediately recognized the chakra's signature. It was Naruto's. She had not sensed this massive wave since that time at the Land of Wave, when her blonde otouto had grew the trees for Zabuza and Haku. She also remembered the last time that happened, Naruto had fallen asleep for three days. _Where is he?_ She mentally asked, afraid that the smallest team member of Team 7 was out there defenseless. They had to ditch this creepy Grass-Nin and find Naruto!

Sasuke frowned as he too recognized his dobe's chakra signature. It made him a bit curious as to why his blonde would reveal his hand so early in the second portion of the exam. However, he did not dwell on it for long. His main focus was on the Grass-Nin in front of him. He could sense this shinobi's chakra energy. It was tightly wound around him much like a serpent about to strike. The raven-haired Konoha teen knew that this stranger was much more than what he appeared to be. It was as if this stranger was the key to all of his unasked questions. Questions he was afraid to ask. The Uchiha heir sneered at his own thoughts. He was an Uchiha! An Uchiha feared nothing!

The Grass-Nin kept his eyes on his prey, but his attention was on that unknown wave of raw chakra energy. Mentally he cringed as he felt the chakra burn at his flesh. He knew that once he was finished with his business, he would have to deal with that unknown source. Every cell and fiber of his being was telling him to destroy that source. Normally he would scoff at the thought of being ruled by his instincts, but at the moment, he realized that this time he would have to. He quickly rationalized that whoever was the source of that unknown chakra would be _**too**_ powerful for him to control, and if he cannot control that power then it must be destroyed. But first… _I have my prey to play with…_

"I suppose you'd like to steal our earth scroll, wouldn't you…?" The Grass-Nin's effeminate voice darkly purred, "… since you've already got a heaven scroll!"

GLUCK

SLUPP

GULP! GULP! LICK!

Sasuke and Sakura gasped in horror as they helplessly watched the Grass-Nin swallow the Earth Scroll whole.

"Now… shall we see… just who will be stealing scrolls from whom?" The Grass-Nin clawed at his face, "We'll fight to the death!"

Sasuke and Sakura froze as they felt their bodies were being ripped apart under a hail of kunai, senbon and shuriken before a single kunai lodge itself in each of their forehead.

PULSE

… _He's casting… an illusion!_ Sasuke gasped as his body dropped to the ground.

BLORTCH!

The Grass-Nin just watched.

_It's not… death…_ Sasuke violently trembled, _just an incredible simulation! I looked into his eyes… and he made me feel it… and believe it! Wh-who the heck is he…?_

"Sakura…" Sasuke whispered but quickly realized that the kunoichi was still in a daze from the enemy's illusion. _Crud! If we don't retreat now, we're finished! The only other option is death!_

"Heh…" The Grass-Nin chuckled, "I imagine you're paralyzed by now…"

The Uchiha heir did not know where or when he found himself holding a kunai. _Not quite… I can move… just enough!_ The raven-haired teen found hope as he tightly held onto that kunai.

The Grass-Nin flicked his left hand in a blink of an eye.

Sharingan red orbs immediately could see two kunai head toward the pinkette.

THOK

THOK

The Grass-Nin walked toward a patch of blood on the ground, causing him to grin.

_Amazing! The boy stabbed himself so that he would be able to focus on the pain and block out fear and illusion! Heh… just as I thought, there is far more to this one than to the common prey!_

* * *

Not far from the clearing that they were attacked, Sasuke with a shaky hand pulled the kunai out of his thigh. The sound of his groan snapped the pinkette from her fear as something inside her snapped. Her friend was hurt, and she was the only one that could help him. Blindly her hand automatically slipped into her traveling pouch to retrieve some bandages for her teammate's injury.

"Speak to me, Sas-"

The raven-haired teen suddenly slapped his hand over the kunoichi's mouth, startling his teammate. _We've got to move fast, or he'll find us again!… the question is how to evade him… um… um… how do we run…? Um…_

Sakura could only stare in shock. She had never seen the Uchiha in such a state of panic. Not even when he fought against Haku. She then heard a faint rustling sound. She glanced up. Her green orbs grew wide and her pupils dilated in fear. She tried to warn her teammate, but his hand held firmly in place. She quickly pulled it away.

"SASUKE! SNAAAAAKE!"

The Uchiha heir snapped around and fled in time before the snake had a chance to strike. _Whoa… my chi is so out of whack, I overlooked a giant snake!_

The enormous serpent wrapped itself around a tree branch before lunging itself toward its prey, mouth gapping wide to devour.

Sasuke only took one look into the creature's great big yellow eye. But he did not see the serpent. He saw, instead, the monstrous Grass-Nin.

"YAAAH! STAY AWAY!" Sasuke screamed as he released a half of dozen shuriken.

WHOMP

The giant snake's body slammed into a tree. All six shuriken were lodged into the creature's head, but not in Sasuke's usual tight-knit grouping.

Sasuke could only stare at the dead monster from the safety of his perch. His body still trembled, and his heart pounded, not only in his chest but also in his ears. He had never known such fear, not even on that Day. Slowly his breathing began to slow down, and he began gaining control of his body when he heard it.

At the base of the serpent's neck, a bulge appeared. Bit-by-bit, the bulge grew in height, accompanied by the flesh-crawling sound of skin being ripped apart.

Color and blood drained from the Konoha teen's face as he watched the Grass-Nin emerged from the giant snake's corpse.

"For shame," The Grass-Nin tsked, "letting your guard down! Stay on your toes, like a good prey should! It makes the chase so much more rewarding…" The shinobi's long tongue licked at the serpent's blood on his face, "… for the predator!"

Sasuke froze in absolute fear, unable to move or breath as the Grass-Nin slithered forward much like a serpent.

The man-snake let out a dark pearl of laughter as he lunged at his prey.

Suddenly the forest echoed with a painful shriek when the dark creature tried to get pass five mysterious leaf-kunai.

The Grass-Nin reeled back at the painful shock that racked his body, leaving an uncomfortable burning sensation beneath his flesh.

"Sorry, Sasuke, Sakura…" A soft voice called out, drawing everyone's attention toward the petite speaker, "I'm late."

"NARUTO!" Sakura exclaimed, relieved to see her otouto was safe and sound.

"RUN!" Sasuke screamed, "This guy is way out of our league!"

Naruto ignored his terrified teammate as he stared down his enemy.

"Heh heh…" The Grass-Nin chuckled, "my compliments on your stunning defeat of the giant snake… Naruto."

The young teen immediately recognized the mocking tone as he heard a hidden wariness in the enemy's voice and Heart Song. A small shudder coursed through the blonde's body as the creature's Heart Song shrieked and scratched like nails on chalkboard. Whoever this creature was, he was so diseased that the little houshi could not hear the natural underlying Heart Song that all beings were born with.

~A naturally evil creature…~ Ka'a murmured in worry.

_Naruto, you need to listen to Sasuke…_ Shisui said, _That man is more powerful then he's letting on! You need to run… you can't let my cousin's sacrifice be in vain! Please!_

The petite Genin heard his companion's words and concerns, but he also heard the forest. The forest too was whispering concerns for him, but it was also moaning in pain. The forest was already beginning to feel the poison of this creature's presence. The longer the monster stayed in the forest, the more quickly the poison would spread and kill the forest to the point that there would be no recovery. Naruto cannot and will not let that happen!

"I don't know who you are, oni." Naruto calmly called out, startling the Grass-Nin by calling him an 'ogre', "But I won't let you infect my forest any longer! Leave! Now!"

Sasuke blinked in surprise before confusion settled in. Yes, the raven-haired teen was relieved to see his dobe and had a sliver of hope that his blonde would help him turn the table on this enemy. He even expected his Naruto to fight in his name as a proper Uchiha property should, but to hear the small Genin talk about the forest confused Sasuke. _He put this weed infested forest above me?_ He narrowed his eyes, _If he won't fight for me then he won't fight at all. I'll stop this here and now… but… this is all I can think of…_

"If it's our scroll you want, come and get it!" Sasuke shouted, finally finding his voice and deactivating his Sharingan Eyes, "Just… take it and go!"

"Huh?" Sakura gasped.

Naruto blinked as he turned his attention to his teammate. A small frown graced his face as he heard more sharp snaps in Sasuke's Heart Song.

"Sasuke." The blonde's voice was calm, "What do you think you're doing? Do you honestly believe that this oni is here for the Exams? He doesn't care about the scrolls."

The raven-haired teen schooled his surprise in an expression of annoyance. He truly had not realized that the Grass-Nin was stronger then a Genin because he was **not**a Genin. It finally donned on the Uchiha that the enemy before them was easily as strong as ten Jounin-level shinobi.

The Grass-Nin smirked.

"Well done…" The dark creature cooed, "You're obviously natural-born prey… instinctively knowing that your only hope… lies in the chance of the predator being distracted by some tastier bait!"

The Heaven Scroll flipped several times in the air before disappearing in a poof of smoke.

"WHAT?" Sasuke gasped when he saw an acorn drop from the sky, "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

The raven-haired teen took a surprised step back when he came face-to-face with his blonde.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Uchiha demanded but stilled when he saw Naruto's soft and yet disappointed expression.

"I have never pegged you as an idiot and a coward, Sasuke." The blonde softly spoke, startling his teammate, "Even if we did hand over the scroll, there's no guarantee he's spare us! … if that's his true objective."

"Oh, Naruto! This is rich!" The Grass-Nin spoke in dark mirth, "And you're right! Why bargain," He purred as he pulled the sleeve of his left arm up, revealing a stylized snake tattoo wrapped around his left wrist, "when I can simply kill you?"

The Grass-Nin bit his thumb then smeared his bleeding digit down the middle of his black tattoo.

"Art of the Familiar Spirit!" The Grass-Nin hissed, causing a whirlwind of smoke and debris.

Naruto knew it was dangerous for him to approach, but he knew that he was the only one with the power to get rid of the snake. He truly hoped that by purifying a second serpent, and in front of the Grass-Nin, that the damned creature would heed the blonde's words and leave the forest.

Suddenly the petite shinobi felt his body being slammed by a powerful force, throwing him in the air. Vaguely he heard his teammates calling his name.

"Excellent… but let's not take chances. Eat the boy!"

The giant snake turned its head toward the blonde's falling frame, its forked tongue reaching out to devour him.

"I AM NO ONE'S PREY!" Naruto shouted as he laid a hand on the serpent's snort.

In a flash of light, glowing tribal markings cascaded down Naruto's flesh and onto the serpent's head, causing the creature to drop as if the earth's gravity slammed onto the creature's head.

For a brief moment, Naruto and the Grass-Nin locked gaze with one another. _How could the brat possibly…?_

_Naruto!_ Sakura mentally gasped, _Where did he get that kind of power?_

"YAAH!" The blonde shouted as the Grass-Nin released a wave of miasma. Instinctively Naruto's holy ki created a thin barrier, protecting him from the full force of the poisonous gas.

_Look at those eyes… He's…_

_Is that really Naruto…?_ Sasuke questioned.

_Ho ho… and the fun has just begun!_ The Grass-Nin crowed then motioned his snake to strike, "And it's Sasuke's turn next! How will he take it?"

The raven-haired teen just froze in pure unadulterated fear.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed.

The giant serpent stopped in its attack. Its massive body trembled as it was encased in glowing markings.

Both Sasuke and the Grass-Nin were surprised to see a barely standing Naruto.

"… hey, are you okay…?" The blonde asked between pants, revealing his amethyst orbs and darken whiskers.

* * *

On the outskirts of Konoha Village was a stretch of road called the Path of Buddha, mostly because the road was lined with hundreds of stone Buddha statues. Clustered near a segment of the stone Buddha were three Konoha Jounin investigators from Morino Ibiki's Special Operation Forces, they were specifically assigned to assist in protecting the Chuunin Exams. Urchin-head knelt down by the remains of three mysterious victims while his friend looked on.

"… one, two, three…" Muttered a third glasses-wearing Jounin as he too looked on, "all of them as dead as stone Buddhas… the result of some kind of ninja skill…"

"Bad news…" Urchin-head quietly grumbled then scratched the back of his head, "Starting out with a problem… crud. Report this to Lady Anko, who's conducting the second exam!"

"Yes'sir!" Glasses replied as he disappeared to Training Ground #44.

He quickly found Lady Anko as she was happily sitting on the roof of a shed, eating dango rice dumplings and drinking oshiruko bean soup.

"Terrible news, Lady Anko!"

"Already? What is it?" She asked.

"Dead bodies! Three of them…"

"Dead bodies?"

"Dead… and very weird. Please, come see for yourself!"

_Weird… how?_ She was intrigued as she followed the glasses-wearing Jounin.

When she arrived, Urchin-head immediately gave her his report.

"Judging from their belongings and the papers we found, they were all shinobi from Sunagakure - the Village of 'Those who hide in the Grass' - and were registered to take part in the Chuunin Journeyman Ninja Selection Exams. And, as you can see…" Anko blanched in honor as she recognized the mutilation technique, "their features are completely melted away."

_No doubt about it… I recognize whose technique was used here! But why would he meddle in this?_

"Show me the photos from the dead shinobi's ID." Anko demanded.

"At once!" Glasses replied as he handed his superior the three ID's.

_So…_ Anko looked at a calm and serene face of the murdered Grass-Nin. A complete opposite of the same Grass-Nin she had encountered, _This is the face he stole but that means he'd already done so when…!_

"This is awful!" She whispered to herself then snapped alive and began shouting orders, "You three! Report what's happened to Lord Hokage!"

"What?" Urchin-head questioned, never having seen his superior this agitated.

"Ask that he deploy two additional Black Ops to the forest at once! I'm going after the imposters!"


	14. Chapter 14

_**~Scroll 13~**_

The Grass-Nin looked down at the blonde, who looked to be struggling just to stay on his feet. It was then he truly realized who the blonde Genin was.

Sasuke could only look at his dobe, who was looking at him with the same sad and yet disappointed look… but there was something else laying beneath those mesmerizing amethyst orbs that he could not identify.

_I have never pegged you as an idiot and a coward, Sasuke._ The blonde's words echoed in the Uchiha's head.

"YAAAH!" Naruto's startled cries snapped the raven-haired teen from his daze.

Onyx black orbs grew wide when he saw the Grass-Nin using _**his tongue**_ to capture his blonde.

"UNHAND ME, ONI!" Naruto shouted as he struggled to break free from the foul creature's hold.

~NARUTO-DONO!~ Ka'a roared as he slowly poured more of his youki into his Host's already exhausted chakra nodes. It was a dangerous move, especially with his Jailer on the verge of a shut down, but being left in this hideous monster's clutches was even more dangerous.

"Heh heh…" The Grass-Nin darkly chuckled, "The brat of the Nine Tails is still alive and kicking!"

The blonde gasped in shock.

No one outside of Konoha knew who he was, and yet this oni did. It meant only one thing… this monster was once a citizen of Konoha.

"Traitor!" The young houshi quietly hissed, which darkly amused the serpent monster.

_How fascinating…_ The oni purred, _Not only did he guess that I was once a citizen of this pathetic village…_ His hands flurried together into a series of hand seals while his tongue moved, lifting the blonde's top and mesh shirt up, _… the demon fox and Naruto's native chakra and psyche have apparently gone from enmity and opposition to coexistence… and are on the brink of symbiosis! An amazing development! And… there's the proof. The spell that seals the monster within appears on his skin like a tattoo… well, I can't have him ruin my plans… a pity…_

"A Five-Pronged Spell!" He shouted as he slammed his hand with more force than necessary into the blonde's stomach, placing his own tainted seal over the petite Genin's pure one.

Naruto let out a heart-filled agonizing howl as the traitor's taint overwhelmed his senses.

Slowly his beautiful amethyst began to fade to his usual oceanic sapphire blue orbs. Then slowly those vibrant gems began to dull and glaze over as his body shut down on itself in attempts to heal from the blonde's numerous injuries and loss of chakra. Then the petite houshi knew nothing as darkness claimed him.

"Sasuke! Naruto needs you!" Sakura screamed, horrified that her one-time crush had yet taken action.

The Grass-Nin just chuckled as he rummaged through the small teen's pouch, pulling out their Heaven Scroll. With their scroll in hand, he carelessly tossed the blonde over his shoulder.

_He's bound to fall!_ Sakura gasped when she realized that her otouto had done nothing to save himself. "Naruto!"

She let loose a kunai. It lodged itself into the tree, precariously holding the blonde high up in the tree by his top.

"SASUKE!" Sakura snapped when the raven-haired teen still had done nothing but stand there, "SNAP OUT OF IT! Naruto was terrified of that man! But he still faced him! Naruto knew that man was dangerous! But he still fought him! Naruto's no coward!"

The raven-haired teen closed his eyes as he tried to block out his teammate. In his mind, he saw an imposing shadow with glowing Sharingan eyes glaring down on him. _Baby brother, you're pathetic. If you want to kill me, settle for hating me until you can! Hate me… and live. Like the coward you are! Clinging to life… without honor!_ The words had plagued his thoughts, his dreams and his life.

"NO!" Sasuke snarled as he opened his Sharingan Eyes, feeling something clicking in his mind.

The Grass-Nin smirked. _Heh heh… it appears that the blood of his ancestors is rising up in this one, demanding action._ He wiped the blood from his arm, canceling his summons. _We'll take our time, so you can show me all your moves!_

Sasuke, in a flash, was armed with five kunai and a wind-blade. _I've been living with the hope of one day killing my older brother. I thought it was the most important thing… but maybe I'm the one who's been the dunce all this time!_ The Uchiha leapt into the air. _…because someone who can't even stand up and do what has to be done at a time like this… wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against…__** Him**__!_

The teen released four kunai at the Grass-Nin, who easily dodged the assault.

His right hand and foot hooked around a tree.

_I see him!_

The wind-blade was released.

The Grass-Nin leapt out of the way by a hair's breath.

Sasuke grabbed the kunai clutched between his teeth, infusing it with chakra fire and released it.

_Not bad!_ The shinobi purred as he dodged the kunai, _The way he anticipates my every move… the accuracy of his targeting… he sees me!_

Sasuke held onto the tree as an anchor while holding onto an invisible string with his teeth.

_String?_ The Grass-Nin turned around in time to see the wind-blade coming back, _A Sharingan 'windmill' - a three-prong attack!_

SMAT

The clearing echoed of a blade against human flesh.

_He flawlessly perceived my escape route and struck along a path I didn't see myself…_ The Grass-Nin turned around with the wind-blade caught between his teeth. Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he recognized the sign of the Tiger that the young teen held with the barely visible string still between the teen's teeth. _He means to use the Art of Fire - Dragon Flame Technique!_

Without warning, the string caught on fire, racing down the path of least resistance.

The Grass-Nin had no time to escape as the massive fire ball engulfed his face.

"That one so young should have such mastery of the Sharingan Mirror Eye power…!" The Grass-Nin cooed, completely un-phased at the fact that half of his face was burnt beyond recognized and his flesh was flaking away, "Truly, a worthy successor to the honored name of Clan Uchiha! In fact, I believe… I want you, after all…!"

"Sasuke…!" Sakura cried as she rushed to the raven-haired youth's side.

The Grass-Nin then brushed his hand against his hiate-ate, revealing his true allegiance… Oto!

"It's marvelous fun, having you show me all your tricks!"

The remaining Konoha Team 7 members were paralyzed once more by the Oto-monster's basilisk-like gaze.

"You really are _his_ brother, aren't you? You can see - and conceal - things with those eyes of yours that Itachi himself never dreamed of!"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide as he attempted to break from the Oto's spell. This man knew his brother, his enemy. He had to know what this shinobi knew of his brother!

"Just who the hell are you?" Sasuke snarled.

"I'm Orochimaru, the Giant Snake. If you'd ever like a rematch…" Orochimaru spoke as he burned their Heaven Scroll, "then pass this exam as quickly as you can!"

_No! The scroll!_ Sakura gasped.

"I'll see you again, if you manage to defeat the Oto-Nin who answer to me."

"Wh-what are you babbling on about?" Sakura finally spoke, "We never want to see your face again!"

"Perhaps not…" The Oto-Nin said as if he knew a secret that the pinkette did not know, "but wishing won't chase me away."

Suddenly Orochimaru's neck extended and whipped toward them, too much like a serpent striking.

CHOMP!

Sakura gasped as she took a step back, finally free from the Sound-Nin's spell.

Orochimaru had sunk his fangs into Sasuke's pale flesh. He took a deep breath in, taking in Sasuke's fear-laden scent. He purred in delight, causing his prey to shudder at the vibration. Orochimaru could not resist to have a small taste of his prey, knowing that he would have the raven-haired teen soon enough. He moaned at the tangy-copper taste of the Uchiha's blood. _Soon…_ The Oto-Nin promised himself as he pulled back, his lips caressing against Sasuke's warm flesh.

"I look forward to seeing you again, Sasuke…" Orochimaru tenderly whispered, "in your quest for power!"

"Wh-what…?" Sasuke groaned as he clutched onto his neck and collapsed to his knees, "Everything … hurts!"

Sakura glared at the retreating Oto-Nin.

"What did you do to Sasuke, oni!"

"Just a little something to remember me by…" Orochimaru cackled as he disappeared into the ground.

"AAUGH!" Sasuke cried as he curled into himself.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke knelt beside her one-time crush, trying to help ease the sudden pain that wrecked his lithe frame.

The raven-haired teen threw his head back, clawing at his head and face.

The pinkette immediately pulled his hands away, before he could gauge his own eyes out. As the Uchiha groaned and screamed in pain, Sakura murmured calming and soothing words into his ears. She ignored her own pain when Sasuke's grip became bone-crushing. She could feel her eyes sting with unshed tears when she noticed a strange three tomoe-pinwheel become the blackest of black at the base of his neck. Suddenly Sasuke's grip weakened as he slumped forward, falling into unconsciousness.

"Naruto…" She frantically called out, forgetting that her otouto was still hanging precariously on a tree, "Naruto… Sasuke is…" She swallowed her words as she finally saw the petite blonde, still unconscious.

Her heart thundered in her chest and ears.

She was all alone…

_**Stay tuned for the next chapter of Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exam come December 1, 2012.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Previously on Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exam, Team 7 had just faced a monster fitting for the lowest pits of hell. And with Naruto and Sasuke badly injured, there is only Sakura left to defend them all. Will she find the inner strength to rise up and protect what she holds dear - even at the cost of her life - or will she crumbled beneath the crushing pressure?**_

_**~Scroll 14~**_

The full moon rose high above the trees as Anko raced through the tree branches. _It's already dusk!_ She feverishly thought as her blood pumped through her veins. There were a few times in her entire life that she had known true fear, and each of those times involved around one particular man. _I have to find him soon! The darker it gets… the worse this situation will get! The question is… why did he choose to show up now? What's he playing at?!_

_Not that it matters… if it really is you, then we'll end this. Right here. Right now._ Slowly her fear became overridden with her sense of duty and a deep-seated self-loathing. _Because you've become a Bingo Book, Level _S_ threat - the worst kind of security risk. And I'm going to kill you, even if it cost me my life!_ And at that moment, Anko suddenly felt a calmness within her that came with the acceptance of her own possible death. A death that she would gladly accept. _And if I can't manage that, then… _She stopped on a branch, _at least I'll slow you down until the Black Ops teams can get here. It's my duty. It's what I learned from my greatest teacher ever… what I learned from you…! Isn't it…_

"Orochimaru…" Anko called as she sensed the familiar killer-intent of her former teacher.

"Impossible…!" Orochimaru hissed as his genjutsu dissolved into nothing.

In a blink of an eye, Anko jumped into the air with senbon in hand.

Orochimaru instantly whipped his serpent tongue.

Anko turned around to strike him down.

His tongue lashed onto her wrist, forcing her to drop the senbon.

She dropped to a tree. She clasped onto the pinkish-gray appendage.

Twin serpents emerged from the sleeves of her coat and wrapped themselves around the tongue.

"You can't escape… _Striking Snake_ technique!" She screamed as she pulled Orochimaru free from his hiding spot.

Suddenly he slammed himself into her.

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled a kunai out and slammed it through her left hand… through his right hand and pinning them both into the tree.

"Got you!" Anko maliciously grinned and sang, "Orochimaru, could you lend me a hand? The left one?"

She then forced his hand to match her hand-seals.

His eyes grew wide in realization at what she was planning to do.

"That's right…" She sang in a dark glee, "We're going to die together. Here. Ninja Technique - **Twin Snakes Kill Each Other!**"

"You mean to commit suicide? How precious!" Orochimaru's cruel voice purred from… behind Anko.

She gasped in horror.

"But that's a doppelganger…" He chuckled from a safe spot before he sneered, "Since, for the time being, it appears you have become one of this village's Jounin ninja elite…" His right hand reached up to tear the charred flesh-mask off of his own face while his left hand made the Tiger hand-seal, "You mustn't just… squander every secret I taught you."

Another gasp slipped pass Anko's lips as her blood suddenly seared through her veins as if it was on fire.

She dropped to her knees in pain.

"Why?" She whimpered through clenched teeth, "Why are you here? Why **now?!**"

"For old times' sake, of course, my dearest Anko! But from your cold reaction…" Orochimaru tsked as he removed the rest of the flesh-mask and revealed his ashen-grey complexion and his cold yellow serpentine eyes - eyes more fitting on a demon than a human, "… one might almost suspect you're not glad to see me!"

"Oooh…" She struggled against the blood poison coursing through her, "What is it? An assassination attempt? Are you after Lord Hokage?"

"Heavens, no!" The pale monster honestly dismissed, "I lack the hubris - and the proper number of subordinates - to attempt anything of that magnitude! My targets are any ninja of the village who display extraordinary abilities."

Anko moaned but kept fighting against Orochimaru's black taint.

"In fact, I just left my mark as a little parting gift…" He casually stated.

She scratched at her neck, subconsciously trying to claw out the three-pong mark - his mark - that painfully throbbed in concert with her own heartbeat.

"… on one of the boys." He airily breathed.

"Uhh…! You monster! It's a time bomb… He'll be dead in no time!"

Orochimaru darkly grinned when he heard the underlying hope in her former pupil's pained and weak voice. He knew that she hoped that his prize would die from the curse mark despite not knowing who it was that bears it.

"There's a nine out of 10 chance that you're right, of course…" But he did not sound too troubled by his own admission, "But just the same… he may survive… as you did." He purred.

"And the thought of him gives you… a charge?" Anko spat out.

"Oh, my dear! Jealous? After all this time…" He sickly cooed, "… are you still angry that I used you and abandoned you?"

She gasped in pain, both physical and mental. She had thought he had loved her. She had given him _everything_. But all that changed when she began to change… as it was the nature of her gender…

"This child seems quite exceptional… unlike you." His serpentine orbs stared down at his former pet and knew that whatever he said next, she would not remember it. Her body had begun to shut itself down in order to preserve itself. "His bloodline is that of the Uchiha Clan… his face and his body are very beautiful." His voice became thick with lust. "He could be the perfect vessel… to succeed me."

Anko then collapsed; the blood poison winning.

"I foresee interesting times… assuming he survives." And Orochimaru had no doubt that his newest pet would survive, "And don't get any clever ideas about trying to end this exam."

The serpentine monster stood to leave.

"I plan to savor this. Three of my protégés have taken the places of three of your own. If something should happen to rob me of my enjoyment… it will spell the end of Konoha village!" Orochimaru promised as he disappeared into the night.


	16. Chapter 16

_**~Scroll 15~**_

Dawn was fast approaching, and Team Gai were having a light breakfast while their team leader, Neji, laid out their next course of action.

"It'll probably start to get light in the next hour or so." Neji stated while fiddling with a kunai, "We were able to use our first day to secure food and water. Most of the teams will be resting now… making this the best time to act. Let's split up… and reconnoiter for the next half hour. But whatever you find, when the time is up…" The long haired brunette threw his kunai into the ground, marking their rally point, "… be sure you're back here. Got it?!"

TenTen smiled while Rock Lee gave his team leader a determined salute.

"Good…!" All three suddenly disappeared at Neji's command, "Let's go!"

* * *

Hidden beneath an old tree's massive roots, Sakura watched helplessly as her two teammates lay before her. One in the throws of a fever, and the other in an unnatural stillness that if it were not for the subtle rise and fall of her otouto's chest, she would have thought Naruto was dead. The pinkette reached for the wash-clothe on Sasuke's forehead. She removed the clothe and felt his feverish flesh. _His breathing is improving, but…_ She thought, _his fever's still so high!_

She then looked at the blonde and watched with held breath as Naruto's chest continued to rise and fall. While it scared her to see her petite teammate so still, she found some comfort in watching and counting each breath the little blonde took. _I've… I've got to protect them both!_ The pinkette vowed…

* * *

As Sakura made her vow, in a short distance, three sets of cold eyes watched her in cruel anticipation.

"Heh heh…" The hunched Oto-nin quietly crowed, "There they are! As Lord Orochimaru commanded, we'll strike at dawn! And our target is Uchiha Sasuke!"

"If the other two get in our way, we can take 'em out, right?" The other Oto-shinobi asked.

"Of course!"

* * *

Sakura pulled the clothe from Sasuke's forehead and poured the rest of the water from her canteen over it. Twisting the clothe, the pinkette wrung the excess water out and placed the cool clothe back on his brow. She looked over her teammates, seeing but not seeing.

Her eyes drift.

Her head heavy.

A moment of oblivion held her.

Immediately she sat straighter and felt the warmth from the sun. _It's already dawn?!_ Suddenly she heard a noise behind her. Instinctively she grab hold of a kunai. Her body trembled from exhaustion and fear. Her heart seemed to thunder in her chest and ears.

The kunai flew through the air, landing before a little squirrel eating a nut.

The tiny creature immediately fled.

Sakura felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment of being scared by the little thing.

* * *

"She's pretty tightly wound." The Oto-ninja murmured, "I wonder if she noticed the letter bomb we stuck on the squirrel!"

"No…" Dosu answered, "That's not it…"

"What then, Dosu? What's going on?"

"… we'll have to get closer to find out. So… what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Zipping from tree branch to tree branch, using the natural chaos of Nature's design as an impromptu obstacle course, Rock Lee landed on a branch which rattled twenty leaves free. Watching the floating foliage, a sudden and yet childish inspiration struck him. _If I can catch all 20 of these leaves before any of them hit's the ground…_ The Genin thought_, … then Sakura will fall in love with me! But if I miss even one… then my love for her will never be requited! And she'll probably make fun of my hair!_ He mentally whined; however, his determination fired up as he leapt down from his branch and began catching the drifting leaves.

He had caught all but one. As he reached for the last leaf, Lee heard the pitiful squeaks of an animal crying for help. Immediately he saw a tiny squirrel twitching as something on the squirrel's back began to smoke.

Within moments, the area thundered while a cloud of dust and dirt surrounded the area.

"Just in the nick of time!" The brunette murmured while laying on his back with the letter bomb in one hand and the squirrel in the other.

The young man felt the tiny creature's heart beat feverishly before settling down. He gave the little thing a soft smile. From the corner of his eye, he saw his last leaf on the ground not far from him. The Genin sighed at the thought of his love for his pink-haired Goddess being unrequited. Out of reflex, the brunette crushed the letter bomb in his hand, not bothered by the slight burn he barely felt.

"A letter bomb…" Lee frowned, "On a very short time. Who would do something so cruel?!"

* * *

Casually walking through the forest without care and fear, despite knowing that there were stronger shinobi than himself out there, Neji took the moment to enjoy the calm and peace that Nature provided. He knew he should be looking for potential targets, but he also knew that he would not have another opportunity to just simply be. So much was riding on this Chuunin Exam; his plans, his goals and his dark desire.

Suddenly his twitched as a small headache began to form behind his pales eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. His eyes snapped opened when he sensed three faint chakra signatures. A frown marred his pale face in annoyance with himself. Why had he not sensed them earlier? Disgusted at his lapse of awareness to his surroundings, the young Hyuga took a moment to exam his would-be-attackers before confronting them.

Neji had to bite back a sigh when he noticed that only one of the three was worth of his attention. This mysterious one had great potential, but there was something about his chakra that indicating that this mysterious shinobi did **not **want to be here. And it was not here in this particular situation but here in general. _How curious…_ The long haired brunette's curiosity finally won.

"Come out of hiding…"The teen sighed, "Unless you're a coward."

Hiding in the brush, Team Asuma stilled in surprised. Ino and Choji were surprised that they were spotted so quickly after hiding; however, Shikamaru was surprised that the Hyuga would even bother to call them out. The Nara genius knew if push-came-to-shove that the long haired brunette could easily beat all three of them.

Suddenly Shikamaru heard Ino muttering about her 'Plan A' not working. While she was not looking, the brunette rolled his eyes and mentally groaned when she continued on a 'Plan B'. The dark haired Genin knew that Ino's plan was not going to work, but he also knew that she would not listen to him.

"Oh!" Ino shrilled out as she stepped out of the brushes.

Choji looked at his friend with an apologetic shrug and followed their teammate. Muttering under his breath, Shikamaru stood up and hoped that Ino did not make this encounter worse.

"What an honor!" She dreamily gushed, "Lord Hyuga Neji, last year's Rookie of the Year… fancy meeting you here!"

Neji's eyes immediately landed on the lanky brunette, who had his hands in his pockets and stood in a slight slouch. Suddenly the feeling of 'not wanting to be here' made sense.

"Oh. It's you…" The Hyuga teen replied.

Shikamaru arched a brow, knowing that the older teen was referring to him. _But why?_ The Nara frowned.

Suddenly from the corner of his eye, the young genius scoffed at his teammate as she let her high ponytail down and attempted to seduce the other brunette.

"I can't tell you how long…" Ino's voice took on a lustful quality, "…I've dreamt of meeting you!"

With one last look at the Nara heir, Neji turned around and coldly told the blonde, "Get lost."

"Come on." Shika finally spoke, but Ino was not listening.

"Why? Why didn't he find me sexy? What's wrong with him?!" She growled while shaking her fist at the retreating Hyuga.

Neji stopped when he sensed the blonde's anger and humiliation at being ignored by him.

"Hey…" He called out, "Does that fist you're shaking in my direction… mean you want to fight me?"

"O-of course not!" The girl squeaked while she moved closer to Choji.

"Then get lost!" The Hyuga ordered as he glared over his shoulder, "I wouldn't demean myself by taking a scroll from losers like you. It would make me a laughing stock."

"O-okay!" The blonde squeaked out again as she dragged Choji back into the bushes.

Shikamaru just rolled his eyes and waved goodbye at the older teen, who smirked and nodded before going on his way.

"Let's go see if we can pick off some weaklings!" Ino suddenly exclaimed while Shikamaru quietly muttered, 'How troublesome.'


	17. Chapter 17

_**~Scroll 16~**_

A shiver racked through Sakura's body as the cool morning air caressed her flesh, but something needled at the back of her mind, telling her that it was more than just the cold air that was making her shiver.

"Heh heh…" A cold voice cackled, "You've been up all night standing guard, eh?"

The pinkette snapped around. Her body trembled in a mix of fear and exhaustion at the sight of the three Oto-ninja.

"As of now, you're off duty. Just wake Sasuke for us. The three of us want to take him on."

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" Sakura screamed while her hand reached for a kunai, "I know that some guy named Orochimaru is the one who's been pulling all the strings… so what do you want?!"

This surprised the three nin, but the Konoha kunoichi pressed on, her fear and concern for her teammates overruled every other emotions.

"What does this mark on Sasuke's neck mean?! With Sasuke in this condition… now you want to fight him?! Get out of here! Go!" She screamed.

"Hmm…" Dosu muttered, "I wonder what Orochimaru's up to?!"

"Whatever…" Zaku muttered back, "I can't walk away after hearing that! I'll destroy you, girl…" He replied louder with a sneer, "And your little Sasuke, too!"

Suddenly her trembles stopped as she was determined to protect her teammates.

"Wait, Zaku!" Dosu ordered.

"Wait? Why?" Zaku whined.

"It's obvious…" The Oto team leader sneered as he knelt down, "Freshly turned stones, exposed soil… grass in a place it would never grow… someone's been setting booby traps…" He then glared at the pinkette, "But what's the point of laying them if you have evidence that warns your prey?"

"It's amateurish!" Zaku snarled, "So… the person who threw the kunai knife was trying to stop the squirrel from springing the trap?"

"Well, the girl is no use to us…" Dosu casually stated, "… so let's eliminate her first."

The Oto then attacked.

With a flick of her wrist, Sakura cut a nearly invisible string, which unleashed a massive log from above.

"A log?!" Dosu exclaimed in surprise, "The trap was _**above**_ us all along!" He then smirked, placing a hand on the trunk and sneered, "Very funny!"

Suddenly the log exploded, revealing the three Oto unscathed.

Sakura watched in helpless horror as her hopes came crashing around her.

"To be honest…" Dosu sneered, "You know you're a complete no-talent, don't you? Stop dogging it and start working at it! It's an insult being underestimated by slackers like you!"

"**KONOHA HURRICANE TECHNIQUE!**"

The Oto-shinobi were suddenly thrown back.

Sakura instinctively thrown her body over her teammates, protecting them from the onslaught of debris.

"Look who's talking…!" A familiar voice drawled, causing the pinkette to turn around and look at her savior in surprise, "Try taking your own advice!"

"Who are you…?!" Dosu snarled in anger at another interruption of his mission.

"Konoha's Handsome Blue Beast…" The teen proclaimed, "Rock Lee!"

"Where did you come from?" Sakura whispered, afraid that the young man in front of her was a hallucination caused by fear and fatigue.

"I came because you needed me. And I always will!" The brunette answered as he lowered the squirrel from his shoulder to the forest floor.

She wiped a tear out of her eye and watched as Lee's squirrel suddenly curled itself into the crook of Naruto's neck.

"I promised when we met…" The Konoha nin began, drawing the kunoichi's attention back to him, "to protect you… until death do us part!"

Sakura just stared in confusion that the young man in front of her had _actually_ meant what he had said. But why? He hardly knew her! Why would he be willing to risk his life for her, a nobody?

"It can't be helped…" Dosu sneered as he tossed their scroll to Zaku, "Zaku… little Sasuke is all yours!

"They're as good as dead!" The hunched ninja charged.

The short haired brunette threw a glance over his shoulder in concern of his pink-haired Goddess. He knew by the looks of her that she did not have enough strength nor fight for this battle.

Dosu charged the teen head long, looking forward to tackling the Konoha nin.

Sakura immediately threw a kunai, forcing the Oto into the air.

Lee slammed his fist into the ground, burying his arm to the shoulder.

A tree root exploded beneath Dosu's hand.

"This is some kind of illusion, right?!" The brunette casually asked, "So, I'll be wasting my time ducking as though your attacks were real. I've seen you use these moves before."

Sakura was amazed by the Konoha shinobi's strength.

Lee knew that the Oto had the advantage by three to one. He also knew that his only chance of surviving was to beat them one-on-one, but even that was a gamble.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Gaaaaah!" Ino screamed as she pulled her hair, "How can we pick off the weak when we can't find any weaklings?!"

Shikamaru just ignored the blonde while he looked over his best friend, who slowly rose to his feet.

"I wonder how Naruto's team is doing…" The Nara quietly mumbled but apparently not quiet enough for immediately the kunoichi turned on him.

"What are you talking about, you idiot?!" Ino screeched.

"What?!" Shika asked, honestly confused by his teammate's huff.

"Naruto and Sakura are total losers…" She continued, causing the brunette to arch his brow, "but they're teamed up with Sasuke - the best of the best!"

Shikamaru sighed and crossed his arms in realization that Ino did not even hear him clearly, and on top of that, she was going on a 'Sasuke-is-the-best' rant. As much as he liked her as a teammate, her hero-worship of the Uchiha heir was grinding on his last nerve… and that was saying a lot.

"Maybe your precious Sasuke is better in theory than he is in practice!" The Nara heir calmly stated.

"There's no way anyone here is going to beat Sasuke." Ino hissed, "But Sakura? She's a complete wimp!"

"Hey!" Choji exclaimed, hoping to stop a row between his teammates, "Sasuke's unconscious!" The bigger ninja was blissfully unaware of the dark glower that the blonde threw at him, "And Sakura's defending him."

"What?!"

* * *

"It's not like Lee to keep us waiting!" TenTen tsked as she looked at her team leader, who looked thoughtful and concerned at the same time, "It's odd… he's usually such a stickler about punctuality… I wonder if he ran into trouble…" She gasped, "Not him!"

Neji's thoughtful gaze turned to an exasperated smile.

"No way. But we should still go look for him."

"Right." She replied as they disappeared in search of their missing teammate and friend.


	18. Chapter 18

_**~Scroll 17~**_

Rock Lee bowed his head as he heard his Master's warning echo in the back of his mind. His wrist wrappings began to come undone. _Master Gai…_ The teen thought, _the time has surely come for me to use the forbidden skill you taught me… and not hold back!_ Because he knew that if he did then Sakura would die at the hands of these Oto-nin.

_I'm defending the life of someone who means the world to me!_

The Konoha shinobi crouched down, locking gaze with his enemy.

"Where'd he go?!" Dosu gasped when he lost sight of the brunette.

POW!

Dosu's head snapped back when he felt a powerful kick connect.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Lee whispered as he appeared behind the Oto Genin.

The wrappings tied and bound the hunched shinobi.

The two came crashing down, head first.

"He's wide open…" Zaku frantically weaved a series of hand-seals, "can't make a move to defend himself! Oh crud!"

"Take this!" The Konoha brunette stated, "**Forward Lotus Technique!**"

The area exploded as dust and debris were kicked up into the air.

_This…_ The teen quietly thought while he jumped away from the carter, _does not feel… good…_ But he pushed away what his body was telling him.

"Whew…" Zaku visibly sighed in relief while his hands were plowed deep into the ground, "Looks like I made it…"

Dosu then pulled himself free from the ground.

"No way!" The Konoha ninja exclaimed.

"… what a terrifying technique…" Dosu remarked, "I managed to land on a pillow of soil… and it still almost wiped me out! But now…" The Oto nin stood up with his right arm extended out, "It's my turn…"

Lee winced. _Oh… this is not good… that last move I did just toasted me. I've got nothing._

On instinct, the Konoha nin dodged an attack from the Oto shinobi.

"Your moves may be fast…" The brunette's body violently shook while the pinkette gasped in surprise as Dosu continued his taunts, "but ours are super-sonic! And muscles alone can't break down this wall of sound!"

Lee dropped to his knee while he threw up his minuscule breakfast.

"LEE!" Sakura cried out.

The Konoha brunette suddenly shivered when he felt something pop and trickle out of his ear. Clutching to his left ear, Lee glared at the hunched ninja as he tried to figure out what the Oto's trick was.

"It's this appliance on my arm…" Dosu showed off the strange metal cast around his right arm, "You see? It prevents you from blocking my attacks."

"What did you use on him?!" The pinkette demanded, causing the Oto ninja to laugh.

"It's sound!" Dosu answered, "Even if you block my fist, the sound waves reach you."

_Sound?!_ Sakura gasped as she remembered her otouto clutching his ears when the Oto and Kabuto fought.

"Do you understand…" He sneered, "the fundamental nature of sound?"

"Vibrations…?" She answered.

"Precisely. When you hear a sound, it's actually those vibrations displacing the air, which trembles against you eardrum." The hunched shinobi lectured and continued on how the human eardrums could only withstand 150 Phons before rupturing and that extremely powerful sound waves could upset an individual's balance. Dosu then tilted his head to the side and smirked beneath his wrappings.

"Heh heh… and it will be some time… before your equilibrium returns."

"So, you see, crude, old-fashion physical arts…" Zaku darkly chuckled, "simply don't work against us."

Lee just glared.

"You did start out very well, though." The Oto ninja continued as he pulled his hands free from the ground, "It's rare for a foe to force me to reveal the nature of my techniques. But now the tide has turned against you!

"I can wield sound waves as a weapon…" He sneered, revealing a hole in each of his palm, "with enough force to crush entire boulders! And with a mere thought I can use sound waves to force air into the earth beneath me, transforming rock-hard soil into the softest kind of cushion… a far more elegant and effective art than your crude applications of brute force."

"And now…" Dosu charged, "it's your turn."

However, instead of charging at the Konoha teen, Dosu's target was Sakura.

The pinkette readied herself for the attack and the pain.

"**Konoha Hurricane!**" Lee cried as he kicked the Oto's attack aside, but the teen's injuries had crippled his attack's strength, causing the hunched shinobi to crow at his own attack's effectiveness.

The brunette just ignored his enemies' taunts as he blocked Dosu's punches.

"This arm of mine magnifies every little sound from within to the utmost limits. It's an amplifier… and not only that, but far from relying on the momentum of my arm's swing… I can use my chakra to direct its power toward my chosen prey, wherever he may lie!"

"AAUUGH!" Lee screamed as he dropped to the ground in pain.

"LEEEEE!" Sakura screamed.

"Now…" The Oto purred, "for the coup de grace!"


	19. Chapter 19

_**~Scroll 18~**_

Hiding behind the brushes, Team Asuma watched on as the Oto easily beat Rock Lee.

"Running away sounds like a good plan!" Choji quietly whispered as he looked at his other teammates, "Those guys are getting creamed!"

"There's something wrong with Naruto and Sasuke…" The Nara teen mumbled, knowing that at least Naruto would not have allowed Sakura to fight alone against the Oto shinobi. The brunette looked at his blonde teammate, "… the famous Lee's obviously had his butt kicked, and Sakura's all alone… what are you going to do, Ino?!"

"Why…" She hissed, "why are you asking me?"

"She's in deep! We can't just leave her…" He frowned, "Can we?!"

Ino began abusing her lower lip as a memory began teasing at her forethought. It was the day when Ino and Sakura had ended their friendship and became bitter rivals. _Why am I remembering that now?_

"Ino." Shikamaru whispered, "What's it gonna be?!"

"There's nothing we can do." She was trying to convince herself more that actually protesting, "If we blunder in now… we may just make things worse!"

But the blonde continued to watch the pinkette as she tried to protect not only her teammates but Rock Lee as well.

* * *

Sakura defended herself from her own shuriken when Zaku deflected them with just a push of his hands.

"OW!" The pinkette exclaimed when someone grabbed her hair and savagely pulled her down.

"Lovely hair…" Suddenly Sakura remembered the female Oto-ninja, who up until now had pretty much stayed in the background, "So much more bounce and shine than mine has! What ninja technique is that - the art of deep conditioning?

"You're a disgrace to all shinobi… fussing with your looks when you should be concentrate on your training!" The female brunette sneered with bitter jealousy as she gave the younger girl's hair another vicious yank.

"Zaku…" She called out, "why don't you finish off Sasuke or one of her other fallen heartthrobs… right in front of this lovesick little pig?" Sakura gasped at the coldness in the other kunoichi's voice, "The least we can do is entertain her!"

Both Zaku and Dosu cheered at their teammate's cruelty.

_No! They wouldn't…_ The pinkette mentally cried as she struggled against her capture.

"Hold still!" The female brunette ordered.

Tears stained her dirty cheeks as she cursed her own uselessness, Sakura cried at how she was the burden of the team, always protected… even Lee, an outsider, protected her… she just wanted to protect her precious people, much like her otouto.

"All right." Zaku jeered, "let's do it."

At the shinobi's cold laughter, the Konoha nin reacted. She did not know where she found the kunai, but there it was in her hand.

"Your tricks are useless against me, little girl." The Oto kunoichi taunted.

Sakura gave her a half smile.

Suddenly the female brunette lost her balance and had a fist full of pink hair.

The pinkette was a few steps away from her captures, standing tall and feeling lighter - both physically and spiritually. As if she had just cut herself free from her doubts. She had watched her teammates fight from the safety of the background. She had watched as those she cared about risk their well-being and lives to protect her… but enough was enough.

_Now it's your turn…_ Sakura thought with absolute resolve, _to watch my back!_

"What…?!" The long-haired brunette gasped in realization that the little girl had willingly cut her hair in order to escape.

"Kin!" Zaku snapped at his teammate out of her jealous daze, "Finish her!"

Kin pulled out four senbon and charged at the Konoha's back, stabbing the pinkette's back.

"The art of substitution!" Kin gasped when the illusion dropped, revealing a log instead of a dead girl.

Zaku sneered. _Zigging when I zagged… she's making a mockery of this, trying to deceive us with such a rudimentary technique!_

Sakura, armed with eight kunai, charged the male brunette.

_The nerve of her coming right for me!_

"Give it up." He spat out, rebounding her throwing daggers, "**Zankuha! The Blast that Slices the Air!**… just a one-trick pony." Zaku stated when he saw that his target was another log.

Looking up, he saw another illusion charging at him.

"Try it twice…" He mocked, "Try it thrice… that trick will never work on me!" He then grabbed his own kunai, "My smallest skill is more than enough for you!"

His daggers hit their mark.

"Heh heh…" The brunette chuckled, "Come out, come out, wherever you… eh?"

He paused when he felt something wet drip on his face. Looking back up, his eyes grew wide in realization that this time… it was real.

Sakura crashed on top of the Oto-nin. She plunged his own kunai that she had pulled out of her thigh into his right arm.

Zaku tried to pull his free arm away in order to blast her away with another Zankuha. Suddenly he let out a painful yowl as the pinkette clamped her teeth into the Oto brunette's left forearm.


	20. Chapter 20

_**~Scroll 19~**_

Ino watched as her former friend was horribly beaten…

"_Everyone always calls you _"Billboard Brow"_, and picks on you…" A six year old blonde girl casually stated to a six year old pinkette, who looked up with her tearstained face._

"_Who are you…?" She asked between hiccups._

"_My name is Yamanaka Ino. What's yours?"_

"_I'm Sakura… Haruno Sakura…"_

"_I can't help noticing…" Ino tapped the pinkette's forehead, "You do have a high forehead… so of course, you get teased. And you hide behind all of that hair… like a sheepdog… or a shy little ghost."_

_Ino then tilted her head to the side and smiled._

"_Tell you what, Sakura… meet me here again tomorrow, okay?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_I'll make it worth your while… so don't stand me up."_

The next day…

_Sakura, with a light blush on her cheeks, looked at her new friend in confusion._

"_It's much cuter like this, Sakura." Ino declared, "You can keep the ribbon…"_

"_Th-thanks… but…" The pinkette began to stutter._

"_But what?"_

"_People can see my forehead!"_

"_The only reason they tease you about it is because you've made it obvious you're sensitive. Don't play their game. Show it off! Let the world see that pretty face! Strike a pose!"_

_Later that day, Ino introduced her new friend to her other friends and was happy that they got on very well._

Months later…

"_Hey, everyone…" Sakura greeted as she ran toward her friends, "want to know a secret? There's boy I think is cute. Guess who it is!"_

"_What are we, mind readers?!" A brunette asked._

"_Don't tell me it's Sasuke!" An auburn haired girl guessed._

"_How…" The pinkette blushed, "How did you know?"_

_Ino gasped._

"_Hey… Ino!" Another blonde girl looked at the short-haired blonde, "Sakura's gotten to be a real ray of sunshine lately hasn't she?"_

_Ino stay quiet._

Months later…

_Sakura was laughing and happily blushing._

"_Hey! Ino! Sasuke seems to like girls with long hair, so I'm going to grow mine…"_

Years later…

"_Everyone says you're after Sasuke, too, Ino…" Sakura calmly stated one day, "I guess that makes us rivals…"_

Months ago…

"_I noticed your hair is lot longer…" Sakura remarked, "Ino."_

"_What's it to you, Sakura?!" Ino snapped._

"_Think you're so great?" The pinkette sneered, "Well, top this! Sasuke and I are on the same team!"_

"_What?!"_

"_So, Ino… you'll never beat me now."_

"_That goes double for me, Sakura… I don't care what it takes. You're not going to show me up!"_

Ino felt tears gather in her eyes as she continued to watch her former, dear friend be abused by the Oto-shinobi.

"Th-this is not good…!" Choji whispered as he look at his teammates.

"Ino…?" Shikamaru questioned, watching as the Oto brunette toss the pinkette off of him.

"You little bitch!" Zaku screamed as he was about to blast the Konoha kunoichi with a Zankuha.

Suddenly three more Konoha shinobi appeared, blocking Zaku from attacking Sakura.

"Ino…" The pinkette whispered both in relief and surprise.

"Hmmph!" Zaku sneered, "The freak parade just goes on and on…"

"Sakura…" Ino's voice carried too many emotions to identify but the hint of longing could be heard between the two former friends, "I told you… I'd never let you show me up!"

"Ino…" Sakura whispered again with a faint smile.

Both girls knew why Ino was really there but neither of them would admit it. Their pride would not allow it; however, they both also knew that now was not the time to try to mend old wounds. There was an enemy that they must defeat first.

"More of these annoying little bugs from Konoha village have crept in…" Dosu sneered, "and started swarming."

Choji twitched in realization that he and his teammates were standing in front of the Oto-shinobi.

"Wh-what are you guys thinking?!" The plump ninja shrieked in horror, "Those creeps are too dangerous! They'll eat us alive! Shikamaru… let go of me!"

"Sorry, buddy." The Nara heir stated, still keeping hold of his friend's scarf.

"Heh heh…" Zaku chuckled, "We'll let you off the hook if you want to run… Fatty."

Choji flinched.

"What did that guy just say?" The teen's voice became cold, "I… could've sworn he called me…"

Shikamaru winced as he watched his friend's entire demeanor changed.

"You're welcome to run away… if you can find a hiding place that's big enough… Fatso!'

The Konoha brunette let go of his friend's scarf.

"This is turning into a complete mess!" He stated while Ino was pleased to see her teammate willing to go to 'war'.

"Sakura…" Ino called, "stay here and watch over your team."

"Right." The pinkette whispered.

"This is it, Team Ino." The blonde cheered, "Up and at 'em, full speed ahead!"


	21. Chapter 21

_**~Scroll 20~**_

"Ino-Shika-Cho Boar-Deer-Butterfly Formation!" Ino shouted as she motioned for Choji to charge forward.

"**Baika-no-justsu! Art of Expansion!**" Choji chanted as his body expanded to the size of a proverbial blimp.

The Art of Expansion was a secret art passed down to the members of the Akimichi Clan. This unique technique allowed a ninja to temporarily enlarge part or all of one's body; however, this particular technique required an enormous amount of calorie energy. Hence, this family's unique… largeness.

"**Nikudan Sensha - Human Juggernaut!**" The Akimichi teen muttered as his head and limps disappeared into his large body.

Suddenly Choji barreled toward Zaku.

"What kind of freakin' art is that?!" The Oto-nin gasped, "**Zankuha! Slicing the Air!**"

The air current did nothing to stop the juggernaut. Instead it sent the Konoha shinobi flying into the air.

"_Flying?!_" Zaku yelped, "How is that possible?!"

_With that kind of rotation…_ The Oto brunette thought as he watched the oncoming human weapon, _so much for air pressure! If that thing hits me, I'll be pulverized._

Dosu tried to help but immediately realized that his body could not move. His visible eye frantically looked around, trying to find the source of his paralysis and quickly noticed a strange elongated shadow, connecting him to the lanky Konoha brunette.

"What the…?!" Dosu exclaimed when his arms moved on their own, making him do ridiculous gestures as if he was a puppet.

"Wh-what are you doing at a time like this?! Dosu!" Kin screamed as she watched her teammate make a fool of himself.

"Ino! The woman is the only one left." Shikamaru bellowed as he continued to employ his distinctive **Kagemane-no-Jutsu: the Art of Me-and-My-Shadow**.

This exceptional technique allowed Shikamaru to join and attach his own shadow to that of his opponent, forcing his enemy to mimic every move he make. However, he can only do this briefly at any given time.

"You got it, Shikamaru!" Ino chirped, "Take care of my body while I'm gone! **Shintenshin-no-Jutsu! Art-of-the-Valentine…**"

This rare technique allowed Ino to take temporary control of her opponent's body, heart and soul. It was the same technique she had used against Sakura during the first portion of the Chuunin Exams.

"Whoa." The Nara teen gasped as he caught the blonde before she collapsed to the ground.

"Urp…" Choji covered his mouth with his hand as he came out of his juggernaut mode, "Man, that makes my head spin!"

"You're finished!" Kin shouted as she held her own kunai to her throat. It was obvious to everyone that while it was Kin, who was speaking, it was not truly the Oto kunoichi.

"If either of you make a move, your teammate Kin is good as dead! Both of you, leave your scrolls here, and go finish the exam without them. When I can no longer sense either of your chakras, I'll release Kin!"

Ino suddenly felt a cold ominous chill crawl down her spine when Dosu and Zaku started laughing.

"No!" Sakura screamed, "They're going to - !"

Her warning came too late.

Zaku lifted his left hand and attacked his own teammate.

Kin's body slammed against a tree.

"INO…!" Shikamaru cried as he watched blood drip from his teammate's lips.

A dangerous draw-back of Ino's abilities was that if anything should happen to the host body then the injuries would also show on the blonde's body.

"Wh-what unbelievable lowlifes…" Ino-within-Kin gasped in pain, "… to wound your own comrade!"

"You underestimated us… bad mistake." Zaku jeered.

"Our objective is not some stupid scroll…" Dosu stated, "nor have we any interest in passing your infantile exam."

This caused the Konoha ninja to look nervously at their enemy. If they were not there for the Exams, then what were they there for?

"We're after Sasuke!"

_Blast…_ The Nara teen mentally cursed when he sensed that he was close to his limit. He pulled back his shadow, freeing Dosu.

"So…" The hunched shinobi crowed, "Your little trick can only work for five minutes at a time?

"And as for the art that girl is using…" Shikamaru did not like what the Oto nin was about to say. "From the look of things, if we inflict any harm on her host, her real body suffers as well! Heh heh… we can kill her by killing Kin ourselves!"

"You're despicable!" A cold voice sneered throughout the clearing.

"What?!" Dosu snarled at another intrusion of his fun.

Standing above them all were two more Konoha Genin.

"You bucolic nonentities think you're all that just because your sonic powers…" Neji stated in an empty monotone voice, "were strong enough to whump these novices!"

Shikamaru sighed in relief at the presence of more ninja from Konoha. Granted, Team Gai may be more concerned about their teammate than them. But either way, the Oto ninja were out numbered.

"Again, the vermin come crawling from the woodwork!" Zaku snapped.

"Looks like you blew it, huh?" Neji sighed when he spotted his unconscious teammate. The long-haired brunette then stated to the Oto, "The kid with the Moe Howard hairdo belongs to us.

"You hurt him, so now you have to answer to us!" The Hyuga teen growled while his eyes subconsciously became paler.

Shikamaru was stunned as he tried to ignore a strange shiver down his spine. He had never expected the other brunette to be so protective of his teammate.

"Stop while you still can…" The teen continued, "or we'll give you everything we've got!"

Suddenly the teen stilled as he sensed the trickling of a familiar chakra; however, there was something poisonous and tainted about the chakra. It made him uneasy, but unfortunately he did not have the time to worry about it now since the owner of said chakra was getting stronger, meaning he was waking up.

"… why don't you stop posturing and start doing something about it?!" Dosu's voice broke through Neji's thoughts.

"Well…" The teen cautiously remarked, "from the looks of it… we don't have to."

Suddenly the clearing became engulfed in a thick miasma of a dark chakra.

Sakura turned around when she heard movement from behind.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed, "You're awake!"

But quickly her joy melted away to horror when she sensed her teammate's chakra. While she could still sense the Uchiha's familiar energies, she could also sense the all-too-familiar taint of Orochimaru's chakra.

The Uchiha stood. His eyes were a deep bloody, cold crimson - nightmare personified - and his entire left side tattooed with sickly tar-black markings that seemed to squirm like a nest of newborn asps.

This was not the Uchiha Sasuke that the pinkette knew.

This was someone else, and she was terrified.


	22. Chapter 22

_**~Scroll 21~**_

_The energies of the curse…_ Dosu could feel fear grip a hold of him, freezing him in place, _They're working their way around his entire body!_

"Naruto…" Sasuke's voice was cold and full of malice, scaring Sakura into believing that the raven-haired teen might hurt her blonde otouto. "Naruto will be angry… someone hurt you, Sakura…"

"Sasuke…" The pinkette whimpered as she realized what her teammate was going to do.

"Who was it…?!" The Uchiha demanded.

"It was us!" Zaku answered with pride.

"Sasuke…" Sakura called, hoping that she might calm her teammate and prevent him from doing something horrible, "Your body… you need to rest…"

Sasuke looked down at his tattoo-covered hand.

"Nothing to worry about. I feel fine…" The Uchiha darkly purred, "Strong… bursting with power! I got it from Him."

Sakura's eyes grew wide as she understood who 'Him' was.

"No…" She whispered, "You don't want his power… Please, stop, Sasuke."

The Uchiha sneered down on her. She would not understand. It was not her place to question him. But Naruto would be angry with if he hurt the stupid girl.

"I am an Avenger…" The raven-haired teen stated, "On the path I walk, I have to do whatever it takes to gain power… even if it means selling my flesh to the devil!"

Dosu shivered. It was as he feared. He recognized the spell mark on the Uchiha's neck; the one that the pinkette had mentioned. The hunched ninja did not know if he was impressed or terrified by the thought of how quickly the teen had channeled and mimicked the malevolent energies of the curse mark and actually be on his feet!

"So…" Sasuke sneered, "It was you who hurt Naruto's sister…"

"Ino!" Shikamaru's voice cut through the tension, "If you stay in that form, you'll be dragged into this! Get back to your body! Choji, let's get moving! It's time we got out of here!"

Ino immediately gathered what little strength she had and released herself from her own spell.

The Uchiha became angrier at the other Konoha ninja's retreat. _Cowards…_ Sasuke growled as the black-tar markings nearly covered his entire face, _I'll teach them to desert… but first… must protect Naruto…_

Dosu watched in horror as the Konoha teen's chakra grew, becoming too much for his body to contain… and when that happened, when Sasuke reached his breaking point, they would be all dead.

"Snap out of it, Dosu!" Zaku shouted, "Just because he refuses to die…"

"Zaku, no!" Dosu tried to warn his teammate, "Don't you get it?!"

"**SUPERSONIC AIR-SLICE!**"

The clearing exploded from the attack.

Slowly the dust and debris settled.

"Hah!" Zaku cheered when he saw no sign of his prey, "Blew that pipsqueak to bits."

"What pipsqueak is that?" A cold voice purred in his left ear.

The Oto shinobi snapped around only to find himself flying through the air from a vicious backhand.

Dosu shivered again as he noticed the teen's speed and strength as the raven-haired youth saved his teammates from Zaku's attack.

"**Fire Style - Art of the Dragon's Breath, Phoenix Technique!**"

Seven massive fireballs came flying toward Zaku and Dosu.

"You're getting overconfident!" Zaku scoffed, "I can blow these out!"

The Oto blew out the flames but gasped as he felt himself being impaled by seven shuriken hidden within the flames.

"Zaku!" Dosu shouted, "Beneath you!"

However, the warning came too late as Zaku felt himself drop to his knees and his arms being painfully pulled behind him.

Sakura watched in horror as her former crush began to smile, a cold and empty smile that reminded her of that Snake. Suddenly his words echoed in her mind… _Rest assured, Sasuke will come to me…_

"Heh…" Sasuke coldly sang, "You take such pride in your arms… time to bid them farewell."

The clearing thundered with twin sickening snaps of bone breaking.

Zaku dropped in pain.

"And then there was one." The Uchiha purred as he stalked toward Dosu, "I hope you're more of a challenge."

Everyone watched in helpless horror; not knowing what to do. They all knew that this was not their former classmate; that this was some sort of monster and none of them had the strength to stop it. And then…

Peace suddenly settled over the clearing and everyone relaxed.

"_**{Stop it, Sasuke.}**_"

The raven-haired teen froze at the special timbre-voiced command.

He had not sensed the other presence's approach. He felt a warm, small hand touch his arm. He let out a slight hiss of pain as the familiar warmth course through him. It was a painful tingling sensation, like his entire body was ice cold and was immediately warming up. It was painful. It hurt so much that he wanted it to stop, but he did not want the warmth to go away. He liked the warmth. The warmth was _his_, and no one was going to take it away!

"They're the enemy…" The Uchiha gasped as he talked to his Warmth, "… must destroy them…"

"_**{No, Sasuke,}**_" Naruto answered, "_**{they're no longer a threat… There's no honor in this.}**_"

"They hurt Sakura…" Sasuke rambled.

"_**{Only one hurt Sakura.}**_"

"Happy?!" Hope and pride laced the brunette's voice, looking for approval from his Warmth.

"_**{Sleep, Sasuke.}**_" The blonde quietly ordered.

Sasuke smiled, believing that his Warmth was happy with him. His eyes grew heavy as his body swayed and began to collapse.

"Sasuke!" Sakura breathed as she reached for the raven-haired teen.

The Oto-ninja watched in humble amazement. With a mere touch from the petite blonde shinobi, the curse marks faded. And with a simple command, the Uchiha heir collapsed and fell asleep. Dosu did not know nor understood the strange power that the unassuming blonde possessed, but he did know one thing… the small ninja had just saved them all.

Naruto's sapphire blue eyes peered at the Oto shinobi, causing the hunched man to flinch and cringe at the soul-piercing gaze.

"Leave. Take your teammates, and leave me and mine be."

Dosu took a deep breath then pulled out his team's Earth scroll and placed it on the ground.

"Please accept this as a token of my admiration…" The Oto quietly spoke, "and as some reparation for your trouble, Little One… To allow us to leave in peace after what we've done… Thank you…" The shinobi grunted as he picked up Zaku, "… something big is afoot that merits further investigation and confirmation!"

Naruto just nodded his head in both understanding and agreement.

"The next time we face you… it will be a proper fight."

Dosu, with both Zaku and Kin in his arms, began to leave when Sakura suddenly called out.

"Wait! Who is Orochimaru? What did he do to Sasuke?! And… Why was Sasuke the one he chose?!"

"I don't know." Dosu honestly answered, "We were just following orders."

And with that, the Oto shinobi disappeared.

In an instant, Shikamaru rushed out and headed toward Naruto. He had barked out an order to Ino to look after Rock Lee. The lanky brunette reached out and placed a hand on the smaller teen's arm. Immediately a jolt of energy shocked through the Nara heir. He had never felt anything like it before. It made him curious. He reached out again, and again he felt the same jolt. It was unexpected and yet welcoming at the same time. And although he wanted to know more about this strange energy, Shikamaru knew it was not the right time nor place to investigate.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Naruto stared at his former classmate as if he just now realized that the teen was there.

Shikamaru sucked in a breath as he saw a deep, haunted pain in the blonde's eyes. The lanky brunette had to fight the urge to gather the smaller boy into his arms and hold him, re-assure him that everything will be fine. The taller teen shook his head.

Naruto gave the other boy a soft but sad smile then looked up into the trees when he felt eyes on him.

Neji was watching him. _That chakra's not normal…_ The Hyuga thought as he looked at both the blonde and the Uchiha, _I had no idea that the Uchiha Clan were so strong… and who knew that the dead-last brat would have so much potential…_

Realizing that Hinata's kin was not going to say anything, Naruto looked around and finally settle on his 'nee-chan. His eyes grew wide at what he saw.

"Sakura…" The blonde ran toward the pinkette, who had Sasuke's head resting in her lap, "Your hair!"

"Oh!" The pinkette's hand automatically reached to her new hairdo, "I wanted to update my image! A new look!"

She gave the blonde a nervous chuckle. The petite shinobi reached out and gently ran his fingers through her short strands. The pinkette sighed as she felt the familiar jolts that was Naruto's unique chakra. She could feel the aches and pains that riddled her body begin to ease and sooth. She looked at her otouto and instantly knew that he had eased some of her pain. Swiftly she pulled his hand away and subtly shook her head. _They can't know…_ She thought to herself. To be able to heal with a single touch was a highly coveted ability - almost equally coveted as the Sharingan Eye - that anyone would kill to have, and with them surrounded by enemies, it would be easy for them to take her little brother… after all that snake Orochimaru got into Konoha and the Chuunin Exams with no effort and without raising alarm.

"How long is he going to sleep?" Shikamaru asked as he approached the trio.

Naruto looked down at his teammate then back at the Nara heir.

"As long as his body needs." He answered.

"Okay." Shika replied as he expected that answer, "We should relocate to a more defensible position until he wakes up."

Naruto beamed brightly.

"Thank you."

A sudden movement caught the blonde's attention. It was Ino half carrying and half dragging Rock Lee. Immediately Naruto rushed over to help while Shikamaru gathered Sasuke onto his shoulders and Choji helped Sakura to her feet.

"Let me take him from here." TenTen called as she landed before the two blondes holding Lee.

"LEE!" She shouted as she began shaking the unresponsive teen, "ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

"Wha…?!" Lee mumbled, "TenTen? When did you get here?"

"We came to rescue you!"

"… Hunh…?" Rock Lee blinked in confusion then looked around, "Where did the Oto-nin go…?"

"They left." She answered, not too sure of what really happened between the hunched Oto shinobi and the dead-last Naruto but grateful nonetheless. "What were you thinking, going off half-cocked like that, alone?! Look at you! You're a mess!"

"S-Sakura needed me! Saving her was my sacred duty… as a man!"

"You're an idiot. You know that, right?" She shouted.

"Your words are so sharp, if I try to answer back, I'll cut myself!"

"Lee…" Naruto interrupted the pair, causing Lee to look up, "You protected Sakura-neechan."

Lee just blinked as he got the sense that he was being measured by the petite blonde while TenTen's brows disappeared beneath her hitai-ate.

"Thank you." Naruto bowed with an approving tone in his tone then turn to trail after the rest of Asuma's cell.

Neji just watched from the trees as the rest of the Konoha Genin found themselves a safe spot to rest and heal. He watched as the blonde girl trimmed the pinkette's hair and talked with TenTen. He watched as the plump youth munched on some root that the dead-last had given him. Apparently it was good because he looking for more. And Neji watched the Nara heir and the dea - Uzumaki Naruto. One was cloud watching while the other appeared to be mediating just a few feet away from the sleeping Uchiha.

Neji knew that the Uchiha heir would be a formidable foe, either by blood or by the teen's own abilities. And the Hyuga looked forward to challenging the other teen; however, Neji did not count on was that he was looking forward to challenging the petite blonde as well.

Then as if aware that he was thinking of the blonde, Neji found himself staring into a pair of bright and soul-piercing sapphire blue gems. Oh yes, he was looking forward to fighting Uzumaki Naruto one day.

_**Stay tuned for the next chapter of Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exam come December 1, 2013.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Previously on Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exam, Anko challenged the traitor, Orochimaru, only to succumb to the poisonous effects of the curse mark, and Team 7 was left vulnerable to the Oto team's attack. Even with the help of friends and allies, Sakura was no match against the vindictive nature of the Oto. When all seemed too much for the young woman, Sasuke awoke from his fever... but it was not the Sasuke that she knew, and were it not for the gentle touch of the young houshi, Naruto, who knew what type of terror this new Sasuke would unleash on foe and friend alike. As the exam continues, one has to wonder... what other horrors and challenges await for not only Team 7 but for all of Konoha as well?**_

_**~Scroll 22~**_

Hours earlier from the final confrontation between Team 7 and the Oto team, Anko had awoken from her injuries. She gathered her strength and began to stagger toward the direction of the tower. Keeping one foot in front of the other, she forced herself to continue on her trek, even though her body protested every single, agonizing step.

Suddenly over the harsh panting of her breathing, she heard the ominous rumble of the forest's more dangerous denizens. Clutching at her shoulder, Anko found herself surrounded by three giant forest tigers. The beasts stared at her, but with neither the expected glint of hunger in their eyes nor with the usual sense of superiority while in the presence of a weaker prey… no… Anko could see it in their eyes… they knew that she was tainted… that she was diseased…

The giant creatures were not going to kill her for food nor for sport... but to keep her disease from spreading in their forest.

Anko mentally sneered at the animals. _I do not have time for this…_ She thought as she prepared herself for a hard-pressed battle. Normally, she would have no concern for the forest tigers, but she was aware enough to know that in her current state, she would be lucky to escape.

The shinobi and the great beasts kept a wary eye on one another...

In the distance a bird chirped...

The tigers' suddenly charged.

Anko barely took a step back before noticing that the large felines had frozen in mid-charge. It took her less than a minute to realize in her exhausted haze that the massive beasts were stopped by an Art of Paralysis.

"Fancy meeting you here, Anko!"

Anko turned around and sighed in relief to see two of her ANBU colleagues lurking in the trees and not her former mentor.

"You two," She grumbled, "must be the slowest-moving covert operatives I've ever met!"

"Aw!" Pouted the fair-haired ANBU, who wore a bird-like mask, "Don't be like that!"

Anko was about retort to Bird's pout when she let loose a sharp gasp and dropped to her knees in pain.

"Hey," The dark haired ANBU with a bear mask gently called as he and his partner landed beside Anko, "are you all right…?"

Bird glanced down at Anko's pale neck and sharply hissed at the sight of the sickly black mark.

"The mark of the curse we've been worried about has floated to the surface." Bird clinically explained to his partner.

And although he was wearing a mask, Anko knew that Bird was looking directly at her when he continued, "But don't tell me that it -?!"

Anko just nodded her head.

"Orochimaru?" Bear exclaimed, "Really?"

Bird sighed as he stood.

"If he's here, we have to bring you before Lord Hokage, so you can report it to him!"

"No…" Anko protested as she struggled to her feet, "go to the tower…"

"What are you talking about?!" Bird snapped, "If Orochimaru reaches our village, a state of emergency will be declared! Your little exam is the least of our worries!"

Anko leveled a heavy look on her colleague, and in that instant, Bird saw the girl that Anko once was before the snake had left his poison in her.

"Trust me…" She quietly mumbled, "I'll explain why when we reach the tower."

The fair-haired ninja just nodded his acceptance of her request. She then turned to Bear, asking that he have Lord Hokage join them at the tower.

~o.O.o~

It was a few hours later when Anko and her two colleagues made it back to the tower. The medical team was able to tend to the kunoichi's injuries, but there was nothing they could do for the residual effects of the poison coursing through her veins. The lead of the medical team just told the stubborn Nin to rest and to take it easy, which was why Bird had manhandled Anko to a nearby sofa in the tower's surveillance room.

She had made a mental note to get back at her colleague once she was fully recovered.

Bird knew that the slightly less than sane kunoichi was plotting his demise due to his manhandling, but in reality, he could care less, especially with bigger concerns roaming around. And so he stood by her with his arms crossed and his entire demeanor screaming 'well?'.

"What's happened is a disaster…" She began as she looked at both ANBU operatives, "But the exams must go on!"

"Why?!" The fair-haired Nin demanded.

But before she could answer, the door slid open, revealing one of the exam proctors.

"Thank goodness you're here, Anko!" The Jounin exclaimed as he rushed into the room, paying no mind to the two ANBU, "There is something I must tell you right away…"

"Now what?!" Anko snapped, thinking the Jounin's urgent message was about some petty quarrel among the Exam Applicants in the forest, "We're right in the middle of something vital!"

"Observe!" The Jounin said as he presented a video tape and went toward the monitors.

"Video surveillance, eh?" Bird questioned while the Jounin ran the tape.

Anko could feel a migraine coming on.

"Right there…" The proctor exclaimed as he paused the video and jabbed his finger at the screen, "Notice the time and date stamp…"

All three looked at the video's time stamp. Anko stared in disbelief at what she was reading.

1609

"That looks like…" She trailed off.

"It is. It was shot from the interior of the tower…" The proctor confirmed, "A mere hour and 37 minutes after the second exam began!"

On the monitor was the first team to complete the Second Exam… the team from the Land of Sand…

"It's not possible." Anko whispered then took a moment to truly observe the three Sand-Nin, particularly the redhead.

"This is unprecedented! Unheard of!" The Jounin continued, "Those three have far exceeded the skills of mere Genin Junior Ninja! They've beaten the previous record by over four hours!"

"It's more than that…" She calmly stated.

"… what do you mean?"

The kunoichi turned toward the window and stared out to the forest.

"It's roughly 10 km from the gates where the students began the exam to this tower…" She explained, "Their path filled with hazardous terrain, poisonous insects, savage beasts… and they've strolled through it like it was a day at the beach!" She paused, "Especially this red-haired boy with the tattoo…"

"What about him…?"

The kunoichi titled her head to the side, looking over her shoulder.

"Don't you see it?"

"Hunh?"

Silence filled the room as the Konoha shinobi observed the redhead on the video.

"Oh," Bird gasped, "I get it! That's amazing!"

The Jounin continued to stare before letting out an aspirated sigh.

"What are you going on about?"

It was clear that he was not seeing what Anko and the two ANBU were seeing.

"Look at his clothes… his body…" She prompted, and the proctor did.

His eyes grew wide as his mouth formed a perfect 'o'.

"There's not a mark on him anywhere…" The kunoichi quietly said, "and not so much as a smudge on his clothes!"

_Even for me…_ She thought as she looked back out the window, _or for any other journeyman-level ninja… a feat like that would be impossible!_

"This must have something to do with his innate talents!" Bird remarked with his arms crossed and his eyes never wavering from the monitor, "It's been awhile since we've seen such a promising candidate. But he's got a nasty look in his eye…"


	24. Chapter 24

_**~Scroll 23~**_

An hour and half earlier from the video time stamp, members of Team 8 sped through the trees in exhilaration.

"Woohoo!" Kiba howled, "Surviving in these woods is as easy as I thought! We rule... don't we, Akamaru?!"

The young pup woofed in agreement at his master's good cheer.

"We really luck out..." The wild teen continued, "The first people to fall into the traps we set were carrying the Earth Scroll we need! We'll be celebrating at the tower in no time!"

"Chill out!" Shino quietly reprimanded his hyper teammate, "It's way too earlier to celebrate! These woods are crawling with enemies..."

Kiba let out an annoyed growl as he came to a sudden stop and turned toward his taller friend and teammate. With his arms crossed, the Inu heir leveled an annoyed glower on Shino, who took no offense to his companion's sudden annoyance. Instead the Aburame heir pressed on.

"When it feels threatened by external danger, even the smallest insects will always -"

"All right, already!" Kiba shouted while throwing his hands into the air. "I get it... but how you always manage to twist everything around until it relates back to insects annoys me!" The wild teen grumbled in a pout before pointing at the taller teen, "And, just for the record, I am still the leader of this team!"

Shino just nodded his head, which made Kiba narrow his eyes. While he could not see it, the Inu suspected that his quiet friend was smirking at him.

"... maybe Shino has a point..." Hinata's timid washed over the two boys, which threw Kiba into another aspirated fit.

"Fine!" The teen grumbled, "We'll take it slow on the way to the tower. Happy?!"

"WOOF!" Akamaru yipped, ruining his master's pout and causing him to glare at his small companion.

"Didn't ask you, you silly mutt."

The pup just cocked his head to the side in confusion.

Kiba sighed as he ran his ran through his hair, knocking back his hood.

"Since we're going slow and be on the look-out for enemies and potential dangers, how are we on provisions?"

"We have sufficient amount of food, if we start rationing now." Shino commented after a quick review of their supplies.

"But we're almost out of water." Hinata stated.

"What?! Really?! Already?!" Kiba gasped in surprise.

"Y-yes..." The shy girl stuttered.

"Okay, I guess our next move is to find a river or creak for water."

"I-I think I saw a small stream about a kilometer back," She stated, "I can take Akamaru with me and refill the canteens... it won't take me long."

"Okay, yeah, you do that..." Kiba nodded, "Shino and me are gonna figure out our next step."

Hinata smiled.

"Come, Akamaru!" The kunoichi cheered as she and the Inu-pup disappeared into the trees.

"Are you sure, it's wise to let her go by herself?" Shino frowned.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba retorted, "She has Akamaru with her, and besides we just came from back there. There was no one there. She'll be fine."

~o.O.o~

It did not take long for Hinata and Akamaru to find the stream that the Hyuga heiress had mentioned earlier. Not wasting any time, she quickly filled her teams' canteens and all the while quietly hummed to herself. As she kept a wary eye on her surroundings, the petite kunoichi could not help but admire the beauty of the deadly forest around her. She had always loved plants and flowers. It was a something that she had shared with her mother before Lady Hyuga passed away.

Her mother had taught the young kunoichi the importance of flowers and plants in everyday life, from a simple garden to healing ointments. And even though her village had one of the best known shinobi hospitals in all of the Hidden Villages, Hinata's mother's herbal medicines were renown to the point that some had even called them 'magic potions'. And after her mother's death, Hinata had taken it upon herself to continue her mother's legacy, much to her father's disappointment.

The petite teen gave the area another look around before she caught sight of a reed-like plant not too far away, causing her eyes to grow wide in delight.

"Burdock root!" She chirped happily as she scrambled toward the plant.

Akamaru dutifully followed the young girl and gave a confused whine, which caused her to giggle.

"Burdock root helps with pain and fever." She explained to the pup as she carefully dug at the plant's roots, "I've been looking for this plant for a long while... who knew that I would find it here... maybe if I can get some seedlings, I'll be able to plant some back home... what do you think?"

Despite the silliness of talking to Akamaru, Hinata continued on her task until she heard the small pup let out a low warning growl. Instantly she snapped around, a piece of burdock root in one hand and a kunai in the other as she stared down three unfamiliar ninja. _Rain Nin..._ Hinata mentally realized when she saw the Rain insignia on one of the male shinobi's sugegasa, straw hat. The three men each wore black and brown body suits, and each had a number of wagasa, umbrellas made of bamboo and washi, strapped to their backs.

"Well, well, lookie at what we have here..." The tallest of the Rain Nin leered at her, "a lost little babe..."

Akamaru stood protectively before his packmate and growled even louder and deeper.

"All alone... are we...?" He continued as he ran his tongue over his lips, even caressing the two metal rings on the left of his lips.

The smallest of the three sighed.

"Do her, but do it quickly, we don't have time to waste."

Hinata tensed in shock and horror in realization of what these shinobi intended to do to her. While young and shy, the Hyuga heiress was no stranger to the horror and violence committed against her sex in the shinobi world. Her sensei made sure of that. When Team 8 had first assembled, Kurenai-sensei had set Hinata aside and told her _everything_. The Illusionist Expert had told the young kunoichi of every cold and cruel act that the older Nin had committed as well as every cold and cruel act committed against her... even the first time that Kurenai had been raped by an enemy. While the other sensei thought it was too much information to give to a fresh Genin, Hinata disagreed. Yes, she was terrified when she was told, but she was also thankful that her sensei had been brutally honest with her.

_"Make no mistake, Hinata,"_ Kurenai-sensei's voice echoed in the Hyuga heiress' mind, _"I can give you all the training in the world, but it will not be enough if you are not mentally prepared. And the most important thing that you must remember is this... it is __**never**__ your fault."_

The tall Rain shinobi stepped forward while his single eye leered at the petite Konoha Nin.

"I'm going to enjoy this."

Hinata stood her ground. She could feel her heart thundering against her ribs. She was not delusional in thinking that she could take on all three Rain Nin by herself, but she could hold her own long enough for Akamaru to get help. With that thought in mind, Hinata let out a pained whine. The whine was one of the few verbal commands that Kiba had insisted that she and Shino learned. It was a command for Akamaru to seek out Kiba should either she or Shino were in danger and needed help.

The pup's ear twitched back when he heard the whine. He was torn between protecting his packmate and obeying the command.

Hinata whined again. This time it was louder, causing the stalking shinobi to smirk. The Hyuga heiress knew that the small pup was torn, but she also knew that Akamaru was the only one capable of getting to Kiba and Shino. After all, they were not interested in the pup, just her.

"Hear that boys? ... She's scared... This is going to be fun..." The shinobi grinned as he suddenly lunged at the young girl.

"GO!" Hinata shouted as she defended herself from the man's attack, causing Akamaru to yip and run.

In the background, she could hear the other two shinobi laughing and jeering about 'man's best friend'. She ignored them as she focused on her attacker.

The Rain Nin made to tackle her to the ground, using his bigger and stronger frame to subdue her.

Hinata slipped under his guard, her kunai biting into his unprotected side.

She tucked and rolled, coming up to a low crouch.

"BITCH!" He shouted when he felt the sting of his wound.

He snapped around, his face an ugly mask of anger and hate.

"I was just going to have some fun and let you go... but now, I'm going to kill you afterwards!" He snarled and attacked again.

_Hurry Akamaru!_ Was Hinata's last thoughts as she immediately went on the defense.


	25. Chapter 25

_**~Scroll 24~**_

The force of the Rain Nin's punch sent Hinata's smaller frame flying into the air. She landed harshly on the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs. Her body trembled from both pain and exhaustion. She had lost track of time during her fight against the bigger shinobi nor did she know for how much longer she could last against him before help arrived. Rolling to her side, her right hand extended out, instinctively reaching out for anything to be used as a weapon. But instead of feeling a rock or a branch, she felt flesh and the coarse texture of sandals, typically worn by shinobi.

She immediately looked up, fearing that one of the other Rain Nin had grown tired of the fight and decided to interfere. Her eyes grew wide at the sight she saw. Instead of seeing one of her attackers, she saw one of the most handsome ninja that she had ever seen.

Hair red as blood, haunting pale eyes surrounded by thick kohl and the kanji for love tattooed above his left eye. The stranger had a presence about him that Hinata could not ignore... much like Naruto-kun, but while the blonde's presence was akin to a warm blanket, the redhead's presence was more like a raging fire. And his gaze...

It felt as if he could see through her, see into her very soul. Hinata felt a shiver course through her, but she never wavered her gaze from his. Slowly she stood up, staying close to his person, causing his eyes to flash in curiosity. Absently Hinata noticed two other ninja standing behind him, but she could not seem to draw her eyes away from the redhead.

"The nerve of those brats from the Village of Sand..." One of the Rain shinobi jeered, waking Hinata and her savior from their trance.

The redhead's eyes became hard as chipped glaciers while Hinata immediately drew closer to his side. From behind them, Hinata heard a sharp gasp. Looking over her shoulder, the petite kunoichi noticed that the Sand kunoichi was staring at _her_ in open surprise, which confused the Hyuga heiress but then turned her attention back at the Rain Nin when they spoke again.

"Daring to try and take our fun!"

"How foolhardy..." Remarked the other Rain shinobi.

"Prepare to meet your maker!" The tall Rain Ninja smirked.

"Are you going to fight us..." The redhead questioned, his voice cold and unforgiving, "or talk us to death? We don't take orders from fossils like you..."

The taunting Nin twitched and growled at the redhead's confidence.

"Hey, Gaara!" The redhead's male teammate quietly reproached.

While Gaara ignored his teammate, Hinata turned her attention to him. _Gaara... the name suits him._ She thought.

"I thought we had agreed we wouldn't fight anyone until we found out if they had the scroll we need! There's no point in attacking if we can't profit by it... we should only fight if there's something to be gained!"

Gaara tilted his head but did not look at his teammate. Rather he looked at the Konoha kunoichi at his side.

"I don't want to hear it! Anyone who crosses me is dead meat!" He calmly stated, causing Hinata to blink.

While she was surprised by the redhead's nonchalant manner of dismissing his enemies, she was not all that shocked. She could sense Gaara's strength, barely contained within his lithe frame. She could also see that he was searching for something within her... perhaps a reaction to his words. While it may be true that she did not have the typical bloodlust of a ninja, she did have a sense of justice. During her fight with the tall Rain Nin, the shinobi had alluded that she was not his first victim, and he had even further insinuated that the other victims would never speak against him. Normally she would have been horrified by Gaara's disregard, but she was even more horrified by the thought the Rain Nin getting away with his crimes of rape and murder. It was one thing to commit such acts during a mission but during something as the Chuunin Exam was another thing.

Gaara gave the barest of nods as if pleased with her reaction.

Gaara's teammates stared nervously at each other and were absently wondering who the Konoha kunoichi was to be able to stand so close to the redhead when the challenging Rain Nin suddenly roared.

"SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!" He dropped into a stance, opening three wagasa, "Ready or not... here I come!"

The Rain Nin thrust the wagasa into the air, clasping his hands together.

"You're dead, kid!" He grinned, "Shinobi Art **Jyoro-Senbon! It's Raining Needles from Heaven!**"

"The parasols are spring-loaded with flying needles!" Hinata gasped in surprise.

"Stay close." Gaara simply ordered, which she obeyed by stepping even closer to him.

"You're completely surrounded." The shinobi gloated, "No gaps... no blind spots. All 1,000 of those needles will swarm in response to my chakra, seeking you out like missiles that have locked onto your signature!"

The area thundered as the senbon struck their target, kicking up dust, dirt and debris.

_That was almost too easy!_ He thought, _Shame about the girl but maybe the blonde -_

"... hunh?" He gasped when the dust settled, revealing the girl and the redhead... protected in a cocoon of sand. "Impossible... not one needle... nothing touched him!"

Enraged, the Rain shinobi fired three more senbon at the exposed opening, which was immediately blocked by a shift of sand.

"A downpour of 1,000 needles, eh?" Gaara growled, "Well, it's my turn... to respond with a deluge of blood."

Either it was intentional or not, the area become flooded with Gaara's immense chakra as the sand shifted again.

"A wall of sand...?"

"Exactly." Gaara's teammate remarked, "Infinitely malleable... an impenetrable defense!

"Only Gaara has ever mastered the art. He draws the sand within the sphere of his own massive chakra then manipulates it into the shape he needs and renders it utterly solid. Even more remarkable, it is done with no conscious effort on his part. It happens when he needs it to...

"Independent of his will." While Hinata could hear the fear in the Noh-masked shinobi, she also heard a mix of awe and pride in his voice, which made her wonder what was the Noh-mask relations to Gaara.

"Any frontal assault on Gaara is doomed to fail!" He continued.

"N-no... way..." The Rain Nin denied the truth he witnessed, "Those needles should be able to pierce even a five-millimeter thickness of tempered steel!"

"You're not good enough to touch our Gaara." The Noh-mask commented dismissively, which angered the Rain shinobi and made him charge in fury.

"SHUT UP, YOU -!" He bellowed as he reached for one of two wagasa still strapped to his back.

Gaara brought his hands up to form a triangle then snapped his right arm out. His hand formed into claws with his left hand held in place in front of his face.

"**Sabakukyu! The Coffin of Crushing Sand!**" The redhead whispered.

The sand immediately wrapped around the shinobi, encasing him in a cocoon as he screamed, "I can't move..."

The remaining Rain Nin and Hinata gasped in surprise at the absolute control that Gaara had over the sand.

In that moment, the ninja's three wagasa speared into the ground. One of which was only an arm length away from Gaara and Hinata.

"As you see," The blonde kunoichi remarked, "Gaara has total mastery over the sand on the ground and in the air as well..."

"I can free myself... e-easily... augh!" The Nin gasped when the sand tightened around him.

"If you don't stop yapping," Gaara coolly said, "I'll seal your lips and cut off your air." With his free hard, he reached for the wagasa near him and opened it, covering himself and the Konoha kunoichi under its shade. "But you're hardly worth it."

Slowly he lifted his extended arm, causing the cocooned shinobi to rise into the air.

"Please!" The ninja began pleading, "Don't kill me! I promise I won't do it again! I won't touch another girl again! Please! I promise! I don't want to die!"

Gaara just stared at his prey then clutched his fist tightly.

"**Sabakusoso! Imploding Sand Funeral!**" Gaara quietly replied to the shinobi's plea. Knowing that no matter how many promises the Rain Nin made, he would continue to rape and kill other kunoichi. Normally he would not care about such things, but the idea of the other Nin harming the strange girl... his strange girl, whose touch was a comfort and made Mother purr, just made him want to bury everything in sand.

Vaguely he was aware of the other Rain shinobi screaming like pigs in horror while the pale-eyed girl just gasped and bury her face into his arm. Mother purred louder in delight that his strange girl would seek shelter and comfort from _him_. It felt odd and nice... it was nice to be touched... at least by his strange girl.

"It's quick and painless." Gaara oddly felt the need to assure her, causing her to look up into his pale eyes. "I used far more force than was necessary to ensure that."

_**/Pretty words.../**_ Gaara blinked when he heard Mother's dark purr, _**/Mates like pretty words... give Mate pretty words.../**_

Never before had Mother ever gave him advice that was not related to bloodshed. And like any good son, Gaara listened to Mother.

"Bitter, crimson tears flows from lifeless eyes and mingle with the endless sands..." He softly whispered, "bestowing ever-greater power upon the demon god."

Hinata blinked in surprise. She had not expected the redhead to whisper poetry to her, despite it being dark as it was. She gave him a shy smile.

The pair was unaware that the remaining Rain shinobi had surrendered their scroll and were pleading for their lives. It was then that the Suna teen remembered them. He wondered if killing one of the Rain Nin had pleased his strange girl then perhaps killing the rest would really please her. With that thought, Gaara tossed the wagasa aside and held out both arms to form the Sabakukyu-jutsu, causing the sands to immediately encase the two Rain shinobi, who were screaming and pleading. As he was about to seal their fate, Gaara felt a warm touch on his skin, freezing him.

"Please, don't." His strange girl whispered, causing him to stare at her.

"HINATA!" Kiba screamed as he and Shino plowed through the bushes, skidding to an immediate halt. Akamaru suddenly whined and began to tremble as the small pup instinctively sought the safety of his master.

When the pale pup had found them without their shy teammate, the two immediately knew that something was horrible wrong. Without a second thought, the pair had ran toward the direction that Akamaru had come from. As they drew nearer to the stream, they had felt an immense dark chakra cascade over them, driving their fear for their friend to mountainous proportions. Before jumping over the bushes, they scented the thick and metallic tang of blood in the air. The mere thought of their dearest friend dead caused them to forget their training and to jump into action without any regard to their own safety. However, instead of finding Hinata dead, they found her standing next to the redhead from the Village of Sand.

"Great..." The Noh-mask grumbled as he eyed the two new shinobi but immediately relaxed when he spotted the Konoha Leaf insignia on their headbands. _They must be the girl's teammates..._ He thought then frowned as he shot a glance at his blonde teammate in confusion. He knew the redhead and knew that Gaara hated to be touched. Whether it was a conscious effort or not, the redhead's sand never allowed anyone near him and yet the pale-eyed girl was not only near the red-haired teen but also _touching_ him. Immediately he began to worry if Gaara would let the girl go to her teammates or would the Sand Master kill them to keep her. Judging the way the blonde kunoichi was fidgeting and looking at the Konoha team, she was probably thinking the same thing.

He took a deep breath and mentally cursed himself for what he was about to do, but they could not afford any delays nor any unwanted attention at this point.

"Hey..." He called out, drawing all eyes on him, "This is the Heaven Scroll we needed... Now, we can head straight for the tower."

The blonde nodded her head in agreement, wanting to get out of the forest quickly and getting away from the volatile redhead.

"Not yet!" Gaara ordered, never looking away from his strange girl.

"Please, leave them be." Hinata quietly asked. "The ANBU will find them and will punish them."

"Hinata, what's going on here?!" Kiba demanded, his voice cracked a bit in fear at what he was sensing from the redhead. He had never felt such intense Killing Intent and yet sweet, innocent Hinata was standing next to the guys as if nothing was wrong.

Gaara relaxed his arms, which released the two imprisoned Rain Nin. However, instead of fleeing, they remained absolutely still - afraid that the redhead would change his mind and just kill them outright. Gaara raised his right arm again, causing one of the Rain shinobi to scream and the other to faint. Ignoring his previous prey, the redhead clenched his fist and slowly formed a cork out of the gathered sand.

"Okay..." He finally conceded as he sealed his gourd and was awarded with a smile from his strange girl.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Hinata!" Kiba whined again, causing the young Hyuga to look over at her team.

She frowned when she saw how tense and fearful her friends were.

Gaara glanced at the two newcomers when he saw her frown, which caused them both to take a hesitant step back.

"I'm coming, Kiba-kun." Hinata called out then looked back at her red-haired savior. In a moment of daring, she leaned over and gave the fair-skinned youth a chaste kiss on his cheek.

Gaara's eyes grew wide at the touch. Mother purred in delight. Hinata blushed a lovely shade of rouge.

And the others... they either gasped or chocked on their shock at the small girl's daring.

"Thank you again, Gaara-san." Hinata whispered then ran to her teammates, who instantly gathered her into their arms and fled before the dangerous redhead could react. While Shino and Kiba hoped and prayed to never cross paths with the Sand-Nin again, Hinata hoped and prayed that she would have another chance to see him again.


	26. Chapter 26

_**~Scroll 25~**_

Meanwhile with Naruto and his team...

The petite blonde stood at the river's edge, staring into the calm, mirror-like surface of the river. Sasuke had ordered him to get their meal while he and Sakura were further down river, setting up their camp. But at the moment, food was furthest from the teen's thoughts as his mind was in turmoil.

It had been four days since the start of the Second Exam and their fight with that thrice-damned traitor, Orochimaru.

It had been four days since Naruto last heard from his imprisoned brother, Ka'a, and those four days of unbearable silence had been the worst torment and torture that the blonde had ever experienced. And this was the first chance he had to sort himself and cry. His arms wrapped around his middle in attempts to protect himself as he crumpled to his knees, letting fat tears to fall from his eyes.

_Naruto... _Shisui whispered as he knelt beside the small Nin. His unearthly hand caressed against the blonde's cheek as the petite youth hiccupped. The Uchiha spirit was at a loss of what to do for the young one.

_I'm so sorry..._ He whispered lamely, _I know that I can't replace the Fox, but know this, I'll always be here for you._

At the spirit's words, bright and red-rimmed eyes looked up as Naruto gave his ghostly friend a weak and watery smile.

"Thanks, Shisui..." The blonde whimpered, "It hurts... it hurts here..." He rubbed his fist over his heart, "and what's worse is I know that he's still _there_ but I can't hear him... I can barely feel him..."

Shisui's dark eyes narrowed a bit.

_What do you mean?_ The phantom questioned.

"It's like..." Naruto sniffed, "it's like someone stuffed cotton in my ears and blindfolded me and wrapped me in a woolly blanket... I have to really, really concentrate to sense Ka'a..."

Shisui blinked and blinked again as he racked his memories for an explanation to what Naruto had just described. The only thing that the spirit can think of was that the Snake had somehow disrupted the connection between host and demon. The specter leaned back on his heels as he looked thoughtful.

Naruto blinked his tears away when he noted his friend's silence. He rubbed his face clean then leaned closer to his friend with a speck of hope looming in his heart. Shisui was after all an Uchiha, and Uchihas were super smart so maybe... maybe Shisui knew what was wrong and knew how to fix it.

"Shisui?"

_Hmm..._ The phantom blinked as he stared into Naruto's oceanic blue gems. _Naruto, whenever you used a bit of the Fox's chakra, is there a mark that appears that wasn't there before?_ He questioned, causing the blonde to think and nibble at his lower lip.

His brows knitted together as he vaguely remembered seeing a strange tattoo on his stomach before the oni punched him. Hesitantly Naruto nodded his head, Shisui straightened his posture.

_Can you flare your chakra a bit? See if we can see it..._

Again Naruto hesitantly nodded his head as he pulled his clothes up and concentrated his chakra to the surface. The blonde can feel the odd instability in his chakra and was careful not to flare out too much that it would draw Sasuke's attention or worse another enemy.

Shisui's eyes grew wide as he saw the intricate seal appear on Naruto's center, over the Keimon chakra node - the Gate of Joy. His fingers ghostly caressed the seal in awe at the craftsmanship that the Fourth Hokage had put into it to seal the demon within the blonde. The original even-numbered seal was designed to suppress and even merge any of the demon's leaked chakra with that of Naruto's, but with an odd-numbered seal placed on top of it... the harmony that Naruto and the Kyuubi originally had had become disrupted, unstable... but... it can be reversed!

Shisui smirked as he stared into the small shinobi's eyes, which grew wide in unabated hope.

_We can fix this._ The spirit assured the teen.

"Really?!"

_Yes, we'll need a Seal Master to reverse the Five-Pong Seal that the bastard placed on you._ Of course, the specter continued more to himself that he did not want to see the vengeance that the fox-demon would reap upon Orochimaru once the demon ever got its claws on him... then again, he actually would enjoy seeing that when suddenly, Shisui found himself overwhelmed by a wave of unbridled joy.

The phantom's dark eyes just stared at the petite blonde in pure wonderment. Even in the amidst of all the darkness that surrounded the teen, the small shinobi still hoped and still glowed brightly like a candle weathering a dark and furious storm. Seeing the blonde in such a state of happiness was addicting, even for the dead, and all too soon the euphoria dampened when Sasuke charged out of the trees, kunai at the ready and looking for any threat to the smaller teen.

_Your timing sucks, little cousin._ Shisui grumbled, causing Naruto to giggle.

"DOBE!" Sasuke growled then narrowed his eyes when he noticed that his dobe did not do as ordered. "What are you doing?! Where's the fish?!"

Immediately Shisui tensed at his cousin's tone and placed himself between the blonde and his enraged living relative. The specter did not like what he was seeing.

Naruto frowned at Sasuke's attitude and at Shisui's reaction. While the blonde appreciated the spirit's protective gesture - even though it would truly do nothing - Naruto was confused as to why the phantom felt the need to protect him from Sasuke of all people.

"Calm down, Sasuke. You'll scare the fish." The blonde chastised the Uchiha heir before looking back at the river.

"Calm down?! I'll scare the fish?!" The dark teen sputtered as he took another angry step forward.

"Yes, you'll scare the fish." The blonde said as if talking to a child, "I only have three fish, which won't last us long. I want to preserve some for later."

"What fish?!" Sasuke snarled, "I don't se -"

The dark-haired teen was interrupted by a sudden splashing in the river and a heavy sigh from his blonde.

"I suppose three will do." Naruto stated while he waded back into the river and pulled out a small net made out of vines, which held three good-sized fish.

Sasuke felt his cheeks burn as he sharply turned around and stalked back to camp.

"Hey! Teme! Help me, you jerk!" Naruto shouted after his teammate, who just continued on his way, "What's bothering him?"

Shisui stayed silent and made a promise to keep an eye on his living relative, hoping that whatever plagued his kin was not the Curse of the Uchiha Clan.

~o.O.o~

As Team 7 sat around the fire, waiting for their meal to finish cooking, Sasuke suddenly broke the silence.

"The Second Exam started four days ago... right?"

"Yeah..." Sakura replied hesitantly.

"And it began around 2:30PM..."

"So it will be over in less than 26 hours." Naruto finished the dark teen's thoughts to which Sasuke nodded his head in agreement.

"A lot of teams must have finished by now." Sakura stated while Sasuke rifled through Naruto's pouch and pulled out the Earth Scroll given to them by the Oto shinobi as penance.

The Uchiha's hand trembled as he held onto the scroll.

"... people will be getting desperate." He mumbled while absently nodding his thanks when Naruto handed him a fish.

Sakura nibbled at her fish when her eyes fell on their scroll and remembered that Orochimaru had burned their Heaven Scroll.

"I'm worried that there might not be any more Heaven Scrolls left."

Naruto and Sasuke both stilled.

"What do you mean, 'neechan?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"Well," The pinkette began to explain, "the second exam is only due to last five days... and four days have already elapsed. That's 80% of the test time...

"There are 26 teams of three competing and only 13 of each scroll, Heaven and Earth. Since you need both scrolls to pass, a maximum of 13 teams will succeed... and that was before that Orochimaru guy who attacked us burned our Heaven Scroll..."

"He did?" Naruto interrupted with a frown while Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and Sakura nodded her head.

"At that point, the number of teams that could possibly pass the test dropped to 12."

"Where did he get the scroll?" The blonde questioned, causing the Uchiha and pinkette to look at him in confusion.

"From you."

"I know that, but where on me did he get the scroll?"

"Your pouch, of course."

"Oh good..." The petite shinobi relaxed as he dumped the contents of his pouch, revealing four scrolls... all of which baring the Heaven emblem.

"Where did you get these?!" Sasuke demanded as he picked one up.

PUFF!

The teen felt his eyes bulged in shock as the Heaven Scroll disappeared and in its place was another scroll with a leaf tied around it.

"I figured it would be a good idea to disguise a couple of scrolls to look like the Heaven Scroll." The blonde explained.

"You mean, that Orochimaru guy burned a fake?!" Sakura gasped.

"Yep!"

"And where's the real Heaven Scroll?!" The brunette looked up to see his dobe run a hand under his golden locks and pulled out...

"A seed?!" Both Sakura and Sasuke blinked.

"It took me awhile to figure it out, but I finally got a hang of it!" The blonde chirped proudly with two fingers before his face.

Slowly he poured his chakra into the seed when suddenly it disappeared and transformed into the real Heaven Scroll.

"See!" Naruto's beautiful eyes sparkled in mirth.

"How did you do that?!" The pinkette looked up in amazement, "And how did you keep it in your hair?!"

"The first part was easy." Naruto explained, "I just transformed the scroll into a seed. It was keeping it as a seed with little roots tangled in my hair... that was hard, but I did it! Cool, hunh?!"

Sakura blinked then squealed in delight as she hugged her blonde otouto.

"You're amazing!" She exclaimed.

"I'm going to the bathroom then we head out." Sasuke ordered as he stood up and left.

While Sakura looked at the different scrolls, Naruto concentrated on transforming both Heaven and Earth Scrolls into seeds before putting them into his hair. Once secure, the blonde shook his head to be doubly sure that the seeds were safely tucked away then he began to pack away his extra scrolls. Oceanic blue gems looked up to see his 'neechan holding one scroll with the original markings of being an encyclopedia on local flora and fauna. The blonde smiled when he noted the pinkette's curiosity as she was about to open the scroll when Naruto's smile vanished from his face at the sudden silence that engulfed their little camp.

Before Naruto can give a warning cry, their camp echoed with a resounding slap of flesh smacking flesh.

Sakura yelped in surprise.

Naruto tensed at the sudden intruder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kabuto coolly remarked as he stared at the two Genin, "Don't you remember the rules?!"

At that moment, Sasuke emerged from the tree line to see a stranger near his dobe. _An enemy...?!_ He thought as he rushed to his blonde's defense. The raven-haired teen appeared in front of his Earth Elementalist, who in turn stood protectively before the pinkette. Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed on the grey-haired Konoha Nin, daring him to attack.

Kabuto, however, had other intentions.

"That was close..." He began lecturing, " 'Those who disobey the rules will find themselves in a situation where they will be forced to withdraw from the exam'. Last time I took this test, everyone who peeked at the scrolls was hit in the eye with a spell of hypnosis the moment they looked inside. They all lay unconscious here in the Forest of Death until after the exam was over."

Sasuke growled at the older Genin's gall at lecturing him. He took a step forward but stopped when he felt a warm hand grab his wrist, immediately knowing that is was his blonde.

"Here..." Naruto stated as he threw the half-opened scroll at the grey-haired Nin, who blinked in surprise at the blonde's action. "That's an encyclopedia scroll on the types of plants and animals one can expect to find in the Land of Fire, specifically around Konoha."

Kabuto's dark eyes snapped down then grew wide in realization that was exactly what he had in his hands. Looking up, he felt the blonde's gaze never wavering, even assessing him. The older Genin hid his smirk under the guise of an embarrassed blush and mentally was surprised when Naruto's eyes narrowed as if the blonde did not believe his humble ruse.

"I'm sorry... I thought that this was -"

"What are you doing wandering around by yourself?" Sasuke interrupted in his demanding tone that made the blonde look at his teammate in concern.

"Well..." Kabuto started, "I wasn't after your scroll, if that's what you're implying."

Team 7 remained quiet, getting the sense that the older shinobi was fishing for information.

"If you must know, I got separated from my team. I'm on my way to join up with them at the tower now."

Naruto just stared at the ninja with the quiet Heart Song. The small hairs at the nape of his neck were on their ends. There was something about this shinobi that put the blonde on edge, and judging by the way Shisui was glowering at the grey-haired Nin, the petite Genin's instinct were not wrong. It was just that he did not know what type of threat the older Konoha Nin posed. Then suddenly Naruto turned his attention to the tree line, catching the other's attention as well.

Kabuto's dark eyes scanned the tree line, and although he may not have seen what had caught the demon vessel's attention, he did sense the faint chakra signature of an unknown ninja hiding in the trees. Habitually he pushed his glasses up to hide his smirk then snuck a side glance at the younger Genin.

"What is it, dobe?" Sasuke questioned while his eyes flittered about the trees.

"Trouble..." The blonde replied.

"I agree..." The grey-haired Nin commented, "Let's move. The smoke from your fire and the aroma of those fish you roasted can be smelled for a quite a distance. By now, every wild animal or enemy in the area must be moving in on us."

_And then why do I get the feeling that you are the worst of the threats..._ Shisui remarked while giving his young friend a worried look.

"Not much we can do now." Naruto mumbled, causing Sakura to look at him curiously, but the blonde just shook his head.

The pinkette frowned but did not say anything as their team plus Kabuto ran through the trees.

"Are there even any enemies left this late?" Sasuke questioned after a while.

"Lots of 'em!" Kabuto answered, "If you were more alert, you'd know it, too.

"It takes intelligence to win battles in territory like a jungle or forest... and do you know the intelligent thing to do?"

"Umm..." Sakura stuttered.

"We all share a common goal..." The older Genin hinted.

"The tower." Naruto replied.

"Right." The grey-haired shinobi said, "The tower in the center of the forest.

"So the closer we get to the end of the exam, the more people will be carrying to the finish line..." Kabuto continued, "making the tower and its vicinity the likeliest place to find them."

"You're talking about an ambush!" Sakura gasped in surprise.

"That's right... there are going to be a lot of desperate characters setting snares for the unwary around the tower."

"Great." Sasuke grumbled as he passed a glance at his dobe, knowing that the petite shinobi had their set of scrolls.

"There's also one more thing..." The grey-haired Nin warned, "This type of exam brings out another sort of enemy... I call them the Collectors."

"Collectors?" Sakura asked.

"Even when you're standing at the tower door and you think you're home free, don't relax your guard for an instant. The conditions of this exam are apt to give rise to them... Bottom Feeders." Kabuto explained, "They're the ones who may not be good enough to beat every enemy they find... so they try to get their hands on as many extra sets of scrolls as they can to buy themselves safe passage from anyone they can't or won't face fairly.

"Some of them also want to have extra scrolls to offer other teams from their village who may not have fared as well because if those teams are on their second or third attempts at passing the Chuunin Exams, the Collectors can barter the surplus scrolls for advance intelligence about the next stages of the test.

"And there are those who aren't after your scroll... they're after your life! They want to eliminate strong teams now just so they'll have less competition to deal with as they move on to the third exam and beyond. And, as you can probably guess, most of these shrewd, ruthless teams never make the mistake of getting complacent or letting their own guard down. Those are the deadliest and the worst!"

"So..." Sasuke darkly chuckled, "that's why you didn't just take off. You're vulnerable, too!"

The older Genin just glanced at the Uchiha heir.

"Safety in number, eh?" The dark haired teen questioned, causing Kabuto to grin.

"Right."


	27. Chapter 27

_**~Scroll 26~**_

After flying through the trees for several hours, Team 7 and Kabuto came to a stop to rest and catch their breath. Not too far off in the distance, they could see the tower.

"We're in view of the tower..." The grey-haired Nin warily sighed, "Here's where the fun really begins."

They decided to wait for a couple of more minutes before they would continue when suddenly they heard rustling coming from behind them.

"An enemy... so soon?!" Sakura gasped.

Naruto immediately let a kunai fly free from his hand.

GLUK

CHNNNG

SKRIT! SKRIT! SKRIT!

"Wow!" Kabuto whistled then looked down at the blonde teen, who lowered his head for a moment in a silent prayer for the life he took.

It did not escape the older Genin's notice that his younger counterpart was not surprised at seeing the giant black centipede.

"It was a centipede..." Sakura whimpered, "A really **BIG** centipede..."

"Naruto..." Kabuto called, causing oceanic blue orbs to glance at him. "The idea here is not to attract any attention. Let me make this really simple for."

A blonde brow arched.

"If we stomp through the forest like a herd of wild elephants, we're basically trumpeting our arrival to everyone around. And they'll throw us a welcome party... but one that we'll surely not enjoy!"

_Execuse me?!_ Shisui gasped in outrage that the grey-haired shinobi would have the gall to lecture Naruto when it was the small blonde, who saved the older Nin from being bitten by the centipede.

_And I suppose you want to be bitten by a poisonous black centipede?!_ The spirit ranted then turned to the young blonde, _Next time, let a damn centipede bit his scrawny ass... it'll be one less headache for us to worry about!_

Naruto's hand covered his mouth as he coughed to hide a smile and laugh at his phantom friend's rants.

The older Genin narrowed his eyes on the blonde, who just openly smiled at him.

~o.O.o~

Several hours later, the Konoha shinobi found themselves shuffling their tired feet and gasping for breath. The pinkette looked up and gave a whine as she felt the last of her strength leave her, causing her to drop to her knees.

"I'm sorry..." She whimpered, "I'm done..."

" 'neechan...!" Naruto yelped as he came to his sister's side with concern coloring his eyes.

Sasuke turned around, leveling a glower on his exhausted teammate.

"I-I don't know how far we've come..." She stuttered, "But the tower never gets any closer."

As she pointed to the tower, Kabuto and Sasuke followed her hand.

"... she's right!" Kabuto mumbled.

"It's bizarre." The pinkette continued as she tried to get an explanation from her exhausted mind, "It's right in front of us, plain as day..."

"Apparently," Naruto sighed as he looked at a far tree, "we're already enjoying someone's warm welcome! Look!"

Everyone turned around.

Behind them was the giant black centipede that Naruto had killed.

"You have got to be kidding!" Sakura exclaimed.

"A Genjutsu...?" Sasuke asked.

"That's what is looks like!" Kabuto answered, "And we fell for it! We've been very, very cautiously running around in circles!"

"And, undoubtedly, being watched?"

"It would make sense. Whoever did this is waiting for us to wear ourselves and so they can move in and take us down!"

"Then they must realize our strength is fading..." Naruto whispered as his eyes flittered across the tree line.

"So they'll make their move soon." Kabuto pushed his glasses up, hiding his smirk in anticipation.

Instantly the blonde jumped to his feet.

"Here they come..." Sasuke smirked as 15 dark clothed ninja appeared out of the trees and the ground.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered loud enough for the dark haired teen to hear. "They're all doppelgangers... there behind us are the real threat..."

"Heh heh..." One of the doppelgangers cackled, "You're all trapped like rats!"

Sasuke growled as he activated his bloodline, trying to see the heart of the doppelgangers. As he was about to attack, his entire body throbbed in pain. His body locked in place, unable to dodge a sudden attack by one of the doppelgangers.

"What are you -?!" Kabuto yelled as he tackled Sasuke to the ground, "GET DOWN!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Sakura cried out.

Naruto placed himself in front of his team while Sakura knelt next to the Uchiha heir. Her eyes grew wide in fear when she was the black mark had grown bigger.

"Are you all right?" Sakura whispered, trying to hide her fear. She was afraid that her one time crush would fall victim to the curse mark once again.

Kabuto stumbled to the embedded kunai. His right hand clutched at his injured left arm. Plucking the kunai from the ground, the grey-haired Nin glared at the very solid weapon.

"Surrender your scroll...!" The doppelganger croaked.

"Does the fact that they physically hurt Kabuto mean these guys are solid doppelgangers and not illusions...?" Naruto asked Shisui, who stood protectively in front of the blonde shinobi.

_No, they _are _just illusion..._ Shisui replied.

"They're genjutsu cast by the enemy." Sasuke huffed between bouts of pain.

"B-but Kabuto's wound is real..." Sakura stated.

"No..." Kabuto interjected, "Sasuke's right. The illusionist is watching from somewhere close by, synchronizing a real, physical attack with the movements of the enemies we think we're seeing! It enhances our perception that the shadow shinobi we're fighting are real."

"And I doubt they are going to come out of the trees that they're hiding in." Naruto grumbled.

"We'll never find him but he's hoping we'll try." Kabuto continued, "Based on my experiences, his kind are pretty much wimps when it comes to taijutsu. The actual, physical foe won't come and face us until we're completely worn out and helpless."

"Right now, our only choice..." Sasuke panted, "is to keep moving and avoid their attacks."

~o.O.o~

Hours have passed, and the Konoha shinobi have yet found a moment of reprieve from the enemy shadow doppelgangers' attacks.

"Ohhh!" Sakura cried, "How long can they keep this up?!"

"How long can _**we**_?!" Naruto cried back as he brought his hands in front of him.

"Naruto, no!" Kabuto shouted, "Don't squander your chakra! A direct attack can't help us!"

The blonde just ignored the older Genin. He took a deep breath, leveling his gaze and focus into the tree line where he knew three enemy Heart Songs were hiding.

"**Kagebunshin no Jutsu! Art of the Shadow Doppelganger!**"

Instantly an army of Narutos charged and attacked the enemy shadow clones. And despite reducing the number of the enemy's doppelganger, there still seemed to be no end to them.

And then in the horizon, dawn's light began to lighten the dark skies. The army of Narutos disappeared into a puff of smoke, and Naruto himself collapsed into the lotus position. His breathing was labored as he looked about the battlefield warily. He knew that the enemy was aware of his depleted chakra. He was fighting himself to stay awake. He would not meet his end here, and judging by Shisui's angry expression, the petite blonde knew that once this was over and they all were safe, he was in for a very lengthy lecture by the spirit.

"I know you..." The enemy cackled, causing Naruto to look at the Rain ninja.

"And I you..." Naruto whispered as he remembered Sasuke had nearly amputated the Nin's arm.

"You're the one who maimed my shoulder!" The shinobi shouted at Sasuke, "And here you are again, making us work hard all night. I'm so glad there's time for a little taste of payback!"

In that moment, Naruto smiled as he sat up straighter. His previous exhaustion disappeared, startling the three Rain shinobi.

"Now who's the trapped rat?" Sasuke growled... from behind the three ninja.

"Nice work, otouto!" Sakura cheered.

"Wh-what the -?! N-no way!" The leader of the Rain Genin stuttered, "When...? How did they...?!"

He snapped around to see instead of the Konoha Genin his shadow clones were fighting, he saw four blondes. The Rain shinobi's eyes nearly bulged in shock that the little blonde had not only used his own shadow clones as a distraction but also to impersonate his comrades, giving the other Konoha shinobi the chance to sneak up on the Rain team.

_You expended nearly all of your chakra, Naruto!_ Shisui hissed with his hands on his hips, _Let them handle the rest!_

The blonde had a tired smile as he gave his phantom friend a slight nod in agreement.

"Naruto..." Sakura whispered in concern while she watched her otouto give Sasuke a pointed look.

Sasuke's expression became feral as he glared at his enemies, and all the while, Kabuto stared at the blonde thoughtfully.

The grey-haired Nin knew that the small demon vessel was a force to keep an eye on. The blonde's chakra was immense. Kabuto did not know if the chakra was the boy's own or belonging to the entrapped demon within. Either way, he knew that once the petite Genin really gained mastery over that massive chakra, the teen would be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

Suddenly the battlefield exploded with more doppelgangers from the Rain shinobi, causing Kabuto to become irritated by the enemies' gall.

"Shadow doppelgangers...?" Naruto asked as he tried to get to his feet but his body refused to obey.

"No..." Sasuke growled, "just ordinary doppelgangers but there's got to be more to them than this... stay back!"

Attempting to get to his feet, the blonde crumpled once more as he fought against the black spots in his vision.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed when she saw several of the Rain clones charging at her little brother.

Sasuke attempted to move to protect his blonde, but his body refused to obey again, seizing up on him. Furious at his weakness, the Uchiha flared the last of his chakra and activated his Sharingan eyes and suddenly...

"AUGHH!" The raven-haired teen screamed, startling Sakura, who barely realized that Kabuto had leapt away to help the exhausted blonde.

"Sasuke?!" The pinkette called as she knelt next to her teammate, who was digging his fingers into his right shoulder.

Sakura's eyes grew wide in horror as she watched the curse mark spreading to encompass the pale team's entire shoulder.

"Sasuke, don't use the Sharingan again!" The kunoichi hissed as she grabbed hold of the Uchiha's arm.

The raven-haired teen snarled at the girl. Enraged that she would order him... order _him_, the last of the Uchihas, not to use his gift... but he did not strike her as he so desired because he knew that his Naruto would be angry with him if he did. But he would make her pay for her daring... he looked away from her and caught sight of Kabuto slamming into his blonde, who was looking at him with worry and not paying attention to the Rain Nin that were coming upon him.

The force of which Kabuto had tackled the younger Genin caused the pair to roll away from the Rain shinobi's attack; however, not before the grey-haired Konoha was injured in his left leg.

Having finally stopped rolling, Kabuto ignored the sharp pain racing up his leg and along his spine as he stared down at the blonde beneath him. Normally he preferred the subtler body of a young girl barely into her womanhood, but having the young Kyuubi vessel beneath him sent a hot charge and thrill through him that he could not ignore... nor could the grey-haired Nin ignore the breathtaking sight of those blue orbs grow unbelievably wide in fear. If it were not for his mission and the exam, he would have played with the small blonde.

The moment Naruto felt Kabuto collide into him to save him from the Rain Genin's kunai, the blonde became overwhelmed with such fear that not even Orochimaru was able to instill into him. It was true that Kabuto was someone to be wary of because his silent Heart Song, but now in so close proximity, Naruto could hear the cold and soul gripping wailing shriek that was the grey-haired shinobi's Heart Song. Instinct gripped the petite teen's mind as he attempted to scramble away from the monster before him. The darkness in the grey-haired shinobi's eyes focused on Naruto with an unholy glint that the blonde did not care if he was heading toward the enemy... anything was better than _him_...

The small teen's hands dug into the earth when he felt three pulses beat against his touch. It was then he realized that the Rain had been using Doton - the Art of Earth - to hide themselves. He was trapped... he was alone... Ka'a was gone... Shisui was screaming at Kabuto to leave the blonde alone and for Naruto to run... and the Rain were about to kill him, a fate kinder than whatever plans were formulating in Kabuto's twisted mind... and then the area echoed with screams as a welcoming darkness pulled the petite blonde under to unconsciousness.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed as tree roots exploded from the ground and cocooned around her otouto, protecting him from the Rain.

The three Rain shinobi were pulled out of the ground by the roots and imprisoned, unable to escape as they screamed in shock.

Kabuto had barely escaped from being impaled by a sudden tree root that shot out of the ground. Now a distance away from the blonde, he felt his right cheek sting as if on fire. His fingers caressed his cheek to feel the deep cut and blood.

Sakura immediately rushed to the cocoon, trying to pull the roots apart as she reached for her otouto.

Sasuke slowly stood up and began to stalk toward the grey-haired Nin. He did not know what it was, but whatever made his blonde react like that, cannot be ignored. And the only one able to answer him was the grey-haired shinobi.

Kabuto looked up and gave the Uchiha heir a cordial smile.

"Naruto is full of surprises." He said, "An Earth Elemental Specialist... your Konoha no Yoko, ne?"

"We have their scroll." Sasuke lied as he leveled his glower, "We don't need your help... we can make it on our own from here."

"Oh?" The grey-haired Nin questioned then looked over the teen's shoulder to the pinkette had finally broke through the cocoon. "Very well, I'll see you at the tower."

And with that, he disappeared.


	28. Chapter 28

_**~Scroll 27~**_

It was several hours after dawn before Team 7 finally made it to the tower.

After Sakura had pulled Naruto out of his cocoon, Sasuke immediately grabbed his blonde from her and had carried him all the way back. For a brief moment, Sakura had a sense of deja vu, seeing Naruto being carried by the Uchiha heir like that. She was increasingly worried that her otouto may have caused more harm to himself after the incident with the tree roots. Every once a while during the team's trek back to the tower, the pinkette would dig a knuckle into the fleshy part of Naruto's thight, causing the blonde to inhale sharply in pain but otherwise he remained asleep. Sakura would breathe a sigh of relief. It may be true that the blonde will have a nasty bruise, but she would have him bruised rather than have him slip into a coma from chakra exhaustion.

At the tower's door, Sakura immediately opened it and looked around her with a frown on her face. There was no one in the room to greet them. She turned to Sasuke, who was jostling the blonde awake.

"Hmm..." Naruto murmured while his blue eyes blinked in confusion.

"We're here, Naruto." Sakura replied as she helped the smaller Genin down.

"Oh!" The blonde gasped as he looked around. His brows furrowed together in confusion. "... there's no one here..."

"Hey!" The pinkette exclaimed while keeping her otouto close in case he passed out again, "Look at that!"

On the far wall was a scripture written by the Third Hokage, and it read:

_If qualities of Heaven are your desire,_

_ Acquire wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher._

_ If Earth qualities are what you lack,_

_ Train you body in the fields and prepare to attack._

_ When both Heaven and Earth are opened together,_

_ The path of peril will revert to the righteous path forever._

_ This "_" is the secret way... that guides us on from this place today._

"I don't get it...!" Naruto blinked as he still felt slumber calling for him.

"I think it refers to the scrolls..." Sakura remarked, "I think maybe it's telling us to open the Heaven and Earth Scrolls..."

Naruto ran his hand through his hair, pulling free the pair of seeds he had hidden before their final leg to the tower and canceling the jutsu to reveal the two scrolls. He then handed his 'neechan the Heaven Scroll. With a nod, they opened the scrolls to find that each scroll bore the kanji for 'person' or 'humanity', depending on the context.

"What is this?!" Sasuke demanded when suddenly the scrolls began to sizzle and warp. It was in that moment that he realized that the scrolls were part of a summoning spell.

With a yelp and a shout, Naruto and Sakura dropped their scrolls and jumped back. The room was quickly filled with smoke but an outline of a person can be seen through the smoke.

Instantly Naruto's face brightened as he recognized his father's Heart Song and scent.

" 'TOUSAN!" The petite shinobi yipped as he tackled his father, who was laughing in joy and relief to have his son safe in his arms again.

"Congratulations..." Iruka laughed as he held his son even tighter, "You've all passed the second exams."

Instantly Sasuke and Sakura sunk to the floor in relief. Sakura smiled as she watched her old sensei and her otouto hug one another when her eyes instinctively went back to the mysterious scripture on the wall.

"Iruka-sensei!" The pinkette called then pointed at the scripture, "What can you tell us about the wall scroll?"

Father and son looked at the scripture.

"It's the directive set down by the Third Lord Hokage for all Chuunin Journeyman ninja."

"Directive...?!" Naruto blinked, looking at his father in confusion.

"That's right!" Iruka tightened his hold, reassuring himself that his son was alive and safe, "In the text, the word 'heaven' refers to the human mind and 'earth' refers to the human body."

"Oh!" Naruto gasped in surprise, " 'If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher' ... in other words, if your weak in knowledge then sturdy hard."

"And..." Sakura chimed, " 'If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body in fields and prepare to attack' ... if your physically weak then train hard!"

"That's right!" Iruka beamed proudly at his former students' understanding, "And once you access the qualities of both Heaven and Earth, no mission, however dangerous, will be wrong path for you... you'll be walking a safe path, even in the midst of the most perilous mission."

"And that blank space?" Sakura asked.

"The word that goes there is a description of what a Chuunin should be." Iruka explained, "The single character belongs in the blank space is the one from the interior of the scrolls. It's 'Jin' meaning one person or all people.

"The challenge of seeing who survived these past five days was a part of the exam designed to test the applicants' basic Chuunin abilities... Chuunin are the unit commander class... responsible for leading their teams. They can only do so by a combination of intelligence and strength. I can't emphasize it enough. Learn it... live it. Believe it from the bottom of your heart!

"Keep the Chuunin Directive foremost in your mind as you move on to the next exam." The kind Chuunin advised, "Now then, we have a couple of hours to rest up and see a doctor before the announcements for the third exam... so let's go."

~o.O.o~

Meanwhile elsewhere in the tower...

"What was the outcome...?" Asked a cruel voice.

"He's already exceeded all projections, Sir..." Kabuto stated as he held out a shinobi data card, "I've kept a careful record of his progress throughout the second exam. I figure you'll need this."

"And..." The cruel voice took the data card, "how was he?"

"Heh heh..." Kabuto chuckled, "It almost sounds like you're a little bit worried, Lord Orochimaru." The grey-haired Nin purred as he looked into the Snake Summoner's yellow eyes.

"No..." The long haired male assured his faithful subordinate, "I'm just curious to hear your opinion..."

"That's not really necessary, is it...?" Kabuto dismissed as he caressed his wounded cheek, healing the injury, "because, just like always, the decision is your alone."

"Heh..." Orochimaru smirked, "I do so enjoy your intelligence. Good work..."

~o.O.o~

As soon Iruka and Team 7 arrived the medical wing of the tower, the nurses immediately descended upon the Uchiha and the pinkette while completely ignoring the obliviously exhausted blonde. The Chuunin Academy teacher was seething at the blatant disregard to his son's wellbeing that the brunette would have made a scene had it not been for the fact that his dear, sweet Naruto needed him.

When the nurse took his teammates to be checked out, the blonde immediately pulled his father away and into an unused room. He had to warn his father about the traitor Orochimaru and the twisted Kabuto.

"Naruto...?" The brunette whispered as he picked his son up since the petite blonde was tripping over his feet. "What happened? I can barely sense your chakra."

Iruka held his blonde sunshine tightly.

" 'tousan..." The Genin yawned as he felt the call to sleep getting stronger, "have to warn ji-chan..."

"Warn the Hokage? Of what?" It did not phase the Chuunin that his son would call their Hokage 'grand-pa'. The older shinobi did, after all, care for the small blonde as if he was one of his own grandchildren.

"Snake..." Naruto murmured sleepily, "traitor... hurt Sas-Sasuke..."

"Naruto!" The brunette gasped as he braced himself when his son suddenly collapsed against him. "Naruto!"

Iruka gently shook his son while calling to him, but his child would not answer.

"Iruka-sensei!" Another voice shouted, startling the panicked father.

Instinctively the brunette held his son to his chest while with a free hand held a kunai. Brown eyes stared at the familiar intruder before recognition sparked in the young father's eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Iruka breathed.

In a few quick steps, the silver-haired Jounin knelt beside father and son. He gently placed a hand against his favorite blonde's cheek and smiled when Naruto subconsciously nuzzled against Kakashi's hand.

"Just exhaustion..." The Jounin breathed in relief then looked up to see unbridled fear and concern in the younger man. Unsure at how the worried father would react, the silver-haired shinobi placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder.

"He'll be fine. He'll just need a couple of hours of sleep." He assured the Academy teacher, who just blinked and held his son closer.

"He was trying to warn me about a snake."

"A snake?" A silver brow arched in confusion when the Chuunin nodded then looked thoughtful as the young father attempted to remember his son's exact words.

"A traitor..." Iruka trailed off for a moment then looked sharply at his child's sensei, "Someone had harmed Sasuke! Go! Check on him! Whoever it was, is a traitor! Go!"

The brunette pushed the older shinobi, who suddenly looked hesitant to leave the pair alone. His dark eye continued to flicker between father and son. Kakashi did not want to leave his bundle of sunshine, but the prospect of a possible traitor amongst them... a traitor, who was also probably after the last Uchiha.

"I'll be back." Kakashi promised while Iruka only nodded.

With one final look at his blonde, Kakashi hurried out of the room to find Sasuke. Hopefully the Uchiha heir would be able to shine some light on this 'traitor' that Naruto was warning them of.

~o.O.o~

It did not take Kakashi long to discover what his favorite student had meant by 'traitor'. The silver-haired Nin had gone to check up on the Uchiha and immediately saw a familiar curse mark that he had seen only once... on Anko... the Jounin immediately had left the medical wing and gone to look for the slightly deranged kunoichi. He figured if the Dango-obsessed shinobi knew that her old mentor was near, she would confront the Snake Sannin... or at least die trying. Kakashi also figured that if she did survive the confrontation then the Hokage would be summoned.

"Looks like I was right..." The silver-haired shinobi muttered as he walked into the surveillance room where the Hokage and Anko were.

Sarutobi turned toward his shinobi, arching a brow in surprise at the Jounin's presence.

Anko frowned at the former ANBU's presence as she put her coat back on.

"Right about what?" The kunoichi demanded, causing Kakashi to tilt his head to the side.

His eye automatically trained on Anko's curse mark. It looked less 'angry' - if one could describe the curse mark as such - than the Jounin had suspected. With a quick glance toward his Hokage, the silver-haired ninja could hazard a guess that the old shinobi had a hand in it.

"That you and the Hokage would be here." Kakashi honestly answered.

This caused Anko to blink in surprise because she did not expect her colleague to answer truthfully.

Sarutobi too frowned at his warrior's honesty.

"What do you know, Kakashi?" The Hokage asked.

"I saw the curse mark on Sasuke's neck down in medical." The silver-haired Nin explained, and it was the truth... just not the whole truth. However, at this moment, the Hokage did nto need to know that it was Iruka and Naruto, who had warned him of the traitor's presence.

"So..." The Hokage sighed, suddenly far more older than he truly was, "He has come for Sasuke."

"Kakashi," Sarutobi turned to the former ANBU, "can you seal the curse mark on Sasuke?"

Before he could answer, one of the monitors flared to life as an unknown proctor called for Anko.

"Yes?"

"It's confirmed, ma'am. Seven teams have passed the second exam... that's 21 applicants. In accordance with the by laws governing the Chuunin Exams, for the first time in five years we'll be scheduling preliminaries rounds for the third examination. The second examination is officially over."

The screen then went dark, and the room fell into a silence until Kakashi let out a heavy sigh.

"I can seal the curse mark, but it will seriously weaken Sasuke." _...and not to mention myself as well..._ The silver-haired Nin thought to himself.

The Hokage nodded then looked at Anko.

"We'll proceed with the examinations as planned..." The older shinobi ordered, "while keeping a close eye on Orochimaru's movements, of course."

"Yes, sir!" Anko answered.

~o.O.o~

Several hours later, the surviving 21 applicants of the second exam stood within a great hall at attention, and standing before them was the Hokage of Konoha, the proctors of the first and second exams, the Jounin-sensei's of the applicants and a few other Konoha shinobi.

"Congratulations to you all..." The Hokage praised, "on passing the second exam!"

While the Genin swelled in pride in making it through the second exam, Gai threw a quick glance at his rival and silver-haired Nin's team.

"Your students made an impressing showing!" The Jounin muttered to his colleague, "I wonder how much of it was dumb luck... not that it matters if it was. My team is bound to knock them out in the next round.

"At the next level, it will be all about their abilities... or lack thereof. Ah well..." Gai sighed, completely unaware that his rival was truly not paying attention to him, "Sometimes being young is all about learning to deal with heartbreak, eh, Kakashi?"

"Huh?" The silver-haired Nin blinked then looked at his colleague, "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

Gai twitched in annoyance while Kakashi just arched a brow and went back to observing his blonde, who looked still exhausted but otherwise well despite the nervous glances he was giving to both Kabuto and the Oto Jounin sensei next to the Sand Jounin. The silver-haired Nin made a mental note to talk with his sunshine about it as soon as possible. All in all, Kakashi was impressed at how many had survived the forest, and the majority of them being Genin for barely a year or less.

"The third examination is about to commence..." The Hokage began, drawing Kakashi's attention back to his leader, "But before I go into the specifics of how it will be conducted... let me make one thing perfectly clear!

"It pertains to the underlying purpose of the exam." Sarutobi paused as he adjusted his mantle, "Why do you suppose an examination of this nature is being jointly conducted by all the nations in our mutual alliance?!

" 'To promote friendship among allied nations and raise the level and standards in the art of the shinobi...' Be very clear about what those fine sounding phrases actually mean! This series of so-called examinations is in fact..." The Hokage paused again, removing the pipe from his lips and exhaling, "a war-in-miniature between all of our allied lands."

The news surprised the applicants as they all side glanced at one another in confusion.

"If you were to study our recent history," the Hokage continued, "and consult a map, it would swiftly become apparent that our alliance is, in fact, a temporary and mutually beneficial agreement between a group of geographically contiguous lands, whose previous existence was one of continual strife... constantly jockeying against one another, openly and in secret, for power and the control of resources that were perpetually depleted almost to exhaustion in the struggle...

"Until a better way was devised... the way of the Chuunin Journeyman Ninja Selection Examination...!"

Naruto's brows rose high at the logical and pragmatic purpose of the exams; however, a number of the other applicants apparently did not argue and made their opinion known - rather loudly.

Sarutobi smirked at the young shinobi.

"Make no mistake," the old shinobi remarked, "when this exam is done, it will have had the side effect of winnowing out any applicants unfit to ascend to the level of Chuunin, but even more importantly, it serves as an arena wherein, for the honor of their respective homelands, young shinobi may fight... to the death, if need be!"

"This third examination will be conducted under the watchful eyes of a member of distinguished guests... including the rulers and nobility of the various lands you all aspire to serve. And among their numbers will be those who rule over each country's own Hidden Ninja Villages. They will be watching you.

"If any one nation's applicants demonstrate outstanding skill and superiority, the noblemen from every land will be quick to commission work from those trained in that superior nation. Conversely, if a particular country's applicants are shown to be incompetent or feeble, commissions to agents of that country will dwindle."

_Great, no pressure there at all..._ Kiba mentally bite out as he listened to his leader.

"And when one land is strong in battle." Sarutobi spoke again, "and the village coffers overflow with the fruits of the many outside commissions this begets then that village may say to its neighbors, 'Beware, for we possess prowess and riches and the influence of political power'!"

"So?!" Kiba growled, "Why is it necessary to stake our lives and fight...?!"

"The strength of a country is derived from the strength of its village..." The Hokage explained, "and the village draws strength from the shinobi who live there...

"And the greatest strength of those shinobi only emerges in the midst of a desperate life-and-death battle!

"These exams provide a public arena for each country to show off and boast of the strength of its warriors and hence the strength of the country itself!

"This test has meaning and great consequence. As you struggle for the sake of your lives and your people, you help to fulfill the dream that was envisioned by our ancestors."

"But..." TenTen interrupted, "you've always emphasized the concept of 'friendship' ... why?"

"Though my meaning is subtle, I chose my words with care. To preserve the balance of power at risk of lives is the essence of friendship in the world of shinobi... let me reiterate before the third exam begins, you are taking no ordinary test!" Sarutobi emphasized, "You risk not only your own futures and your dreams, but the dignity and prestige of your home village as well."

The redhead Sand Nin suddenly growled as his patience was drawing thin. He wanted to fight, and he wanted his Hinata.

"Whatever." He murmured, "Could you wrap up the philosophical talk and get down to the life-and-death stuff any time soon?"

"Hmph!" The Hokage guffed at the youth's impatience, "So, you insist I explain the third exam?"

"Well..." Another voice interrupted, "the truth is... forgive my interruption, Lord Hokage, but if you don't mind handing the rest of the proceedings over to me, Hayate Gekko, proctor of the third exam."

A brown haired Jounin knelt before his Lord Hokage.

"Go ahead." The old shinobi grunted.

"Okay." Hayate muttered as he stood then turned around to face the applicants.

His pale complexion had a sickly tone, and beneath his dark eyes were dark circles from either his illness or lack of sleep, no one knew.

"Good to meet you, everyone..." He greeted, "I'm Hayate. Uhh... before we start the exam... *koff* I must ask you all to do something for me... *koff* ummm... you see... there are some preliminaries to the exam proper and whether you proceed to the main exam is contingent on how well you manage those."

"Preliminaries?!" Sakura whispered in surprise, "Master Hayate, I don't understand what you mean by preliminaries. Why can't all of the remaining applicants just proceed directly to the next exam?"

"Well..." Hayate began, "I don't want to say that the first two exams weren't demanding enough... but the truth is... we still have too many applicants.

"Under the traditional rules of the exam, we have to have a preliminaries test... to reduce the number of applicants who'll proceed to the third exam.

"As Lord Hokage mentioned, a number of honored guests will be observing you during the third exam... so we must make the exam intense, tight, and fast-moving.

"Hmmm... *koff* so anyway... *koff* now that you know something of what it's really all about... anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge, either physically or mentally, can walk away. Just take one step forward... because the preliminaries start...

"Right now!"


	29. Chapter 29

_**~Scroll 28~**_

"NOW?!" Kiba yelped in surprise while the other applicants murmured amongst themselves.

Sakura stared at Sasuke in fear, mentally wishing that the raven-haired teen would step forward and step out of the preliminaries.

Naruto stilled as he heard the traitor's Heart Song screeching within the room. His blue eyes stared at the Oto-Jounin and wondered if the Snake would be truly that daring to be in the presence of so many Konoha Nin when suddenly...

"Well..." Kabuto's voice broke through the petite blonde's thoughts, "I'm outta here."

"What?!" Sakura gasped when she heard her fellow Konoha shinobi volunteering to step down, "... Kabuto!"

She then looked at her otouto and her one time crush, both of whom just looked coolly at the grey-haired Nin.

"Ummm..." Hayate coughed as he looked at his roster, "Aren't you... *koff* Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha? Okay. You can go. Uhhh... *koff* In case I forgot to mention it, from here on in, you fight as individuals... *koff* not as members of teams. So you can make the decisions that are right for you without worrying about anyone else. So... *koff* anyone else want out? Show of hands...?"

_Kuso!_ Shisui cursed, startling Naruto as the blonde cast a curious glance to his ghostly companion. _No wonder he looked so familiar... years ago, there was a battle at Kikyo Pass. A member of our medical corps took in the lone survivor of that battle... and he's that kid...!_

Naruto took a deep breath as he looked at the ninja, who while adjusting his glasses gave the blonde a dark and hungry look. The petite Genin looked away and suddenly felt a strong need of a long cleansing shower. The small teen was unaware of his Otousan's and his sensei's concerned looks at the youth's sudden and odd behavior.

Kabuto let loose a low chuckle as he looked forward to the day that he would meet the Uchiha heir again... as well as his newest obsession in the small, lithe blonde.

While Sasuke watched the grey-haired shinobi walk away, the dark haired teen was unaware of the deadly glower coming from Kabuto's remaining teammate. Suddenly the Uchiha breathed in deeply while he clutched his neck. Grinding his teeth together, the teen wondered about the increasing frequency of the pain that wrecked his body.

"So, uhhh... *koff*," Hayate asked, unaware of the drama unfolding amongst Team 7, "looks like no one else is bailing out."

"S-Sasuke..." Sakura whispered while anxiously looking between the proctor and her teammate, "Maybe you should quit, too!"

Sasuke growled as he leveled a dark glower on the pinkette.

"Ever since that Orochimaru attacked you," She pleaded, "you haven't been yourself! That mark on your skin is hurting again, isn't it? And it keeps getting worse!

"Please... please... withdraw... I... I'm afraid..."

Naruto watched as his 'neechan bared her heart to the dark haired teen, who remain emotionless.

"You're in no shape to fight, Sasuke!"

"Shut up..." The raven-haired teen ordered.

"Sasuke, I know that you've barely been able to contain the pain all this time!"

"I _**said**_..."

"You leave me no choice." She interrupted, "If you won't listen to reason, I'm going to tell all the teachers about that mark! And then..."

As Sakura began to raise her hand, Sasuke's hand snapped with speed akin to a striking serpent. She let out a quiet whimper in pain as she felt the Uchiha's grip.

"Keep your mouth shut!" He ordered, "Not a word about the mark!"

He then released his hold.

Sakura gently held her bruised wrist close to her chest.

"I'm an Avenger." He growled then immediately let out a groan as another wave of pain coursed through him.

_I was afraid of this..._ Shisui mourned as he watched his kinsman helplessly then stared at the small blonde, who stepped forward.

Naruto gently placed a hand over Sasuke's hand.

Dark eyes looked up, slipping his hand from beneath Naruto's smaller one then covering the blonde's hands with his own. Instantly he felt the pain fade and disappear. He found himself being able to breath easier and think clearly. Only his dobe could make him so focused and make him feel so powerful. He would show his blonde that he was strong and powerful to not only win this exam but also to achieve his goals...

"Ahhh..." Hayate spoke, "well then... we'll now begin the preliminaries... which will consist of individual combat matches, as though this were part of a tournament."

The applicants watched the proctor, with the exception of Sasuke, whose only focus was on his dobe.

"As there are a total of 20 combatants remaining, we will hold a total of 10 bouts. Ummm... and the victors of those bouts will advance to the third exam.

"This is no-holds-barred combat. Each pair of combatants will fight until one of them is dead or unconscious... *koff* admits defeat. As soon as you sense that your opponent is overpowering you, immediately concede your loss... if you value your life.

"Uhhh... *koff* since we don't want a total bloodbath on our hands, there may be cases... where we ascertain that there is an undisputed winner and step in to end the match. But don't count on that. From here on out, the key to your fate is held in..." A rumbling echoed throughout the room as a scoreboard. "At the start of every round, we will display the names of the two combatants competing in that match... *koff*

"So, ummm... not to hurry you all to the slaughter... but let's begin. We'll now announce the first two names."

Immediately the applicants eyes were drawn to the scoreboard.

Sakura let out a gasp when the names appeared as she looked nervously at her teammates.

Naruto frowned, but Sasuke smirked...

UCHIHA SASUKE VS. AKADO YOROI

"Will the individuals whose names are listed on the board come forward now...?" Hayate called.

Sasuke moved away from his blonde. He shivered when he felt the sudden loss of his dobe's warmth. He would have to defeat Kabuto's teammate quickly in order for him to feel Naruto's warmth again.

"Akado Yoroi, Uchiha Sasuke..." Hayate confirmed, "You two have been selected to compete in the first bout. Any objections?"

"None..." Yoroi grunted.

"I'm good..." The Uchiha replied.

"Uhhhhh... It's time for the first round to commence... all right?" Hayate stated. "Everyone other than the two combatants should move to the upper gallery now."

The applicants and their Jounin-sensei shuffled and made their way to the upper gallery.

At Naruto's nod, Sakura relucantly followed the other applicants while the blonde stayed with the raven-haired teen. With a slight tilt of his head, the small Genin heard his sensei's Heart Song, which sounded wary and apprehensive.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto greeted with a soft smile on his face while the Uchiha scowled at the silvery-haired ninja.

Kakashi's dark eye immediately focused on his bundle of sunshine, looking for any signs of unattended injuries. The Jounin frowned when he saw how exhausted his Naruto still was despite the several hours of reprieve. But it was not just exhaustion that haunted those beautiful oceanic blue orbs, there was also pain, lingering in the teen's eyes. It was not pain of the body but of the heart, and it made Kakashi want to kill the bastard, who put that pain there.

Unfortunately, now was not the time to follow and embrace his murderous desire... He had another worry to contend with...

Even though the Uchiha heir was not looking at him, Kakashi knew that the brooder was paying attention.

"Sasuke..." The older shinobi plainly and quietly spoke, "Don't use the Sharingan."

Sasuke stilled as he tried to figure out how the Jounin knew. At first, he had thought that the pinkette had ratted him out, but he quickly dismissed the idea since she did not have enough time to do so. And he doubted that his blonde would betray him so that begged the question... how did he know?

"If the spell-mark on your neck is allowed to run rampant," The silvery-haired Nin continued, "the consequence will change your life."

The teen snorted. The Jounin did not know what he was talking about. The spell-mark was giving him power, and it will give him more power once he mastered it. This was the power he was looking for to kill Him and make Naruto his!

"If they see any sign of that, the match will be suspended." Kakashi said, unaware of the dark thoughts coursing through the Avenger's mind. "And I'll be forced to stop you. Please don't forget that... come, Naruto, let's go upstairs."

Sasuke was frozen at the mere thought of his fight being suspended. His blood boiled in anger when suddenly familiar warmth coursed through him. His dark eyes flittered over to his dobe, who was watching him in concern. The Uchiha took a deep breath as he mentally went over what he had available to him. Despite the few hours of rest, his chakra was not at 100%, and even if he had all of his chakra at his disposal, it appeared that the curse mark responded to his chakra. He frowned. Not only was his Sharingan out of the question, the teen was limited in using his chakra even for the normal arts.

Up in the balcony, Naruto leaned against the railing and his sensei as he watched his teammate prepare to fight with such a heavy handicap.

"Sasuke..." The blonde whispered to no one, "don't overextend yourself... please..."


	30. Chapter 30

_**~Scroll 29~**_

"All right..." Hayate started, "Please, begin!"

"Shall I start?" Yoroi questioned, bringing his hands together and in front of his masked face.

"Go for it." Sasuke taunted.

Yoroi's right hand gleamed with an unknown chakra while his left hand reached into his weapons pouch.

Sasuke armed himself with a kunai.

Yoroi threw three shuriken.

Sasuke blocked but his body protested against the sudden move, causing him to stumble. The dark haired teen looked up and immediately rolled away as Yoroi appeared and slammed his right fist where Sasuke had just laid.

In a flash, the Uchiha wrapped his legs around Yoroi's arm, dropping the Konoha ninja to the ground. The teen tried to dislocate Yoroi's shoulder when suddenly he felt his strength fading.

His grip weakened.

Yoroi easily shook Sasuke's hold as the larger shinobi slammed his elbow into the teen's stomach followed by a punch.

Yoroi hopped away while Sasuke was left twitching on the ground, trying to understand where his strength had gone.

"Sasuke!" The Uchiha heard his teammate call out but the warning came too late.

Yoroi was on top of him.

Sasuke was pinned to the ground while Yoroi's right hand gripped onto the teen's forehead.

"Sasuke! He's an Eater!" Naruto's voice broke through the Avenger's daze.

"You're..." The Uchiha's voice was barely above a whisper, "feeding on my chakra..."

"... heh heh..." Yoroi darkly chuckled, "finally, figured it out, eh?"

"Aaugh!" Sasuke screamed as he felt a war being raged within him. "Ohh... you..." The teen then lashed out with a swift kick, his right leg connecting with Yoroi's chin, "... son of a ... !"

Yoroi laughed as he slowly got to his feet.

"Imagine a little vermin like you having any strength left to oppose me."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. He knew that he had got lucky with his last attack. If Yoroi made contact with the teen again, Sasuke knew that he would not have enough energy to avoid another assault. As much as he hated to admit a weakness, he knew that even he was reaching his limit.

Up in the balcony, Naruto and Sakura watched helplessly. In the background, the blonde could hear someone questioning the Uchiha's abilities, but he did not have the heart to defend his friend. For the blonde, he felt it better that Sasuke was defeated and have that curse mark treated as soon as possible. However, the petite teen knew that the raven-haired youth would not accept defeat.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered as he listened to his teammate's Heart Song, which sounded strain and on the verge of snapping again.

As if he heard his name being whispered, the Uchiha looked up to the small blonde. For a brief moment, dark and blue eyes were locked together, ignoring all else, when a sudden movement to Naruto's left caught the raven-haired teen's attention. His eyes grew wide at the sudden inspiration.

"Heh..." Yoroi chuckled, "You couldn't have picked a worse time to let your mind wander!"

He charged with his hand aglow.

POW!

Sasuke kicked Yoroi under his chin with his left leg.

Yoroi's body flew into the air.

Sasuke disappeared behind his opponent, unaware of the startled expressions on Gai's and Rock Lee's faces as they recognized the Uchiha's moves.

"After this," The dark teen muttered, "I'll limit myself to my own special skills, but for now...!"

Yoroi stilled as he felt the teen poke the center of his back.

"It's over." Sasuke predicted.

"Oh!" Yoroi gasped as he finally realized what was happening, "Kagebuyo - Shadow of the Dancing Leaf...?!"

"Eat this!"

Suddenly pain pulsed through Sasuke's body. He let out a sick and wet cough, blood painting the air. His body seized up then trembled as the pain ripped at his senses. While consumed in the throes of the curse-mark, a soft voice broke through the haze. At first, the voice did not make sense until Sasuke finally heard the words... words he had not heard since he was a small child... it was a lullaby... a lullaby that his mother used to sing it to him...

_"{Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright_

_ "{May the moon, silvery beams, bring you with dreams_

_ "{Close you eyes, now and rest, may these hours be blessed_

_ "{Till the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn_

_"{Lullaby, and good night, you are mother's delight_

_ "{I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms...}"_

But that was not his mother's voice...

_"{Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I'm right beside you_

_ "{Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear_

_ "{Lullaby, and good night, with roses bedight_

_ "{Lilies o'er head, lay thee down in thy bed_

_ "{Lullaby, and good night, you are mother's delight_

_ "{I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms...}"_

_ Naruto!_ Sasuke gasped as he realized who was signing to him, giving him strength to fight against the pain. And during his mental battle, the Uchiha was unaware of the sickly markings that had nearly spread across his side as it had once before. And now... the markings began to recede.

Free from the pain, Sasuke was able to think clearly again and to complete his assault against his opponent.

"Let's go!" The teen remarked darkly.

The Uchiha slammed his leg against Yoroi then rotated around again and slammed his arm into the shinobi's chest, propelling the Nin faster to the ground.

Sasuke slammed his fist again into Yoroi before rotating around once more for a final kick.

"And now..." The Uchiha growled out, "**Shishirendan! Barrage of Lions!"**

Yoroi slammed into the ground, rending him unconscious.

Sasuke skidded across the ground before tumbling heel overhead and finally stopped.

Hayate casually walked to Yoroi's unmoving body. The Konoha Nin casually looked over the down shinobi then lightly smiled when he heard the young Genin groan as the teen slowly pushed himself up.

"I'm halting this match before it goes any further." The proctor called, "In other words, Uchiha Sasuke is the champion of the first battle... and advances past the preliminaries to the next level!"

Up in the balcony, Sasuke's teammates sighed in relief as Sakura whispered in disbelief that the raven-haired had done it.

The Uchiha weakly dropped again and would have flopped down had it not been the sudden brace against his back.

"Hey!" Kakashi casually stated, using his knee to keep the tired teen stable, "Well done!"

The Jounin was impressed that the Uchiha was able to use techniques deriving from Gai's own fighting style, which he had memorized from his little spar with Lee.

Sasuke ignored his sensei and looked over to his blonde, who looked at him in relief and worry. The raven-haired teen twitched violently as his body protested against the abuse.

"Uchiha Sasuke..." A medic called as his colleagues carried the unconscious Yoroi away, "we must escort you, too, and put you under the care of the medical corps... so you can get the best possible treatment."

"You have no idea what you'd be getting yourselves into." The former ANBU drawled, "I'll handle him."

The medic did not protest any further and left the teen in the Jounin's hand.

"... I'll seal away the curse mark." He whispered to the teen.

"Well then..." Hayate continued, ignoring the teacher and student, "Right! Let's get the next match going."

"Can't this wait?" Sasuke attempted to stall. He did not need nor want the mark to be sealed away. He needed the power of the mark. He needed to make that power his! And he can... as long as he stayed with his blonde. "I want to watch everyone else compete."

"NO!" Although the Jounin did not raise his voice, the teen could hear the tension in the older shinobi's voice, "Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement!

"This thing is spreading like a disease, and it's already close to the point of no return. I let you have your own way once, and it's only made you greedy."

~o.O.o~

Naruto and Sakura watched as their sensei escorted their teammate out of the arena while the other applicants watched the board to see who would be next.

"Where are they going?" The pinkette whispered.

_Of course..._ Shisui remarked as he too watched the pair leave.

Naruto only tilted his head ever slightly to the side, which the Uchiha phantom took as a signal for him to continue.

_Your sensei knows about seals. He's probably going to place a seal on that curse mark._ The specter explained.

"Oh!" The blonde exclaimed.

Sakura looked at her otouto, who then leaned over and whispered into her ear what he had just been told. Even her eyes grew wide.

"Do you think it will work?" She asked hopefully.

Naruto nibbled at his lower lip. He truly hoped that their sensei's seal would work, but the blonde could sense the dark power within the curse mark. It was lying in wait, much like a serpent waiting for its prey. It would only need a catalyst to unleash the unholy power lurking within the last Uchiha.

Blue eyes looked into his 'neechan eyes and saw her desperation to believe that their sensei could fix this.

"I hope so." The blonde could only say, which was enough for her as she smiled brightly and turned her attention to the board as it was about to announce the next match.

As Naruto watched the names of the next match appeared, he wondered if may be Kakashi-sensei could reverse what that traitor had done to him and Ka'a. He pushed the thought aside as the next fight was about to begin.

The next fighters were...

Zaku Abumi and Aburame Shino

**Author's Note:**

**The lullaby is from the album Jewel Lullaby, and the song is Brahm's Lullaby.**


	31. Chapter 31

_**~Scroll 30~**_

"Uhhh..." Hayate coughted, "All right, everyone. It's time for the second match of the prelims to begin!"

The Oto-Nin stared at his opponent with both of his arms wrapped in bandages and in a sling.

"It's that Sound ninja..." Sakura whispered, causing Naruto to look at her curiously.

_Eh... yeah..._ Shisui winced, _Sasuke kind of broke both his arms._

Blue eyes grew wide. If that was true then how could it be possible for the ninja to continue to fight.

"I hope Shino's up to this..." The blonde heard Hinata whisper.

"He's pretty tough." Kiba replied, "Out of all the people here, he's the only one I wouldn't want to go up against..."

The comment made the petite Genin curious. What was it about the quiet youth with the cicada-based Heart Song that would unnerve the Inu?

_He's an Aburame..._ Shisui commented, _That Sound Nin already lost, and he doesn't know it..._

Before Naruto could ask his ghostly companion further, Hayate's voice echoed throughout the arena.

"Okay... you may begin." The proctor commanded.

While all the applicants were focused on the fight, none - save for Dosu - noticed one of the Jounin-sensei had disappeared.

"If you go through with this," Shino's soft voice carried throughout the arena, "you'll get hurt so badly you'll never be the same. Walk away... while you can."

Zaku's left arm twitched as it slipped out of its sling.

"Hah." The Oto shinobi cackled "Looks like this arm still has some life left in it."

The dark-haired Sound lowered his stance as he darkly grinned at his opponent.

"And I'm betting I can take you with one hand tied... so to speak."

Zaku then charged.

Shino remained calm and still.

Reflexively Shino's right arm blocked the Sound's attack, surprising the Oto at the teen's speed and reflex.

"It'll take more than one arm to beat me!" The quiet teen casually stated. It was not a boast but a fact.

"Just shut up!" Zaku snarled then sneered, "See how you like... this!"

Shino blinked behind his dark glasses when he saw a hole in the Oto's palm and heard the sound of the wind.

"**Zankuha!**" Zaku crowed, "**The Blast that Slices the Air!**"

Shino's body went sailing across the ground, startling his teammates when the Aburame came to a stop.

"Hah!" The Sound Nin tauntingly laughed, ignoring his throbbing arm, "On your feet, loser!"

His laugh stopped. He watched in surprise as the teen actually got back up to his feet. Zaku's taunt was not a literal command, and he could not suppress a sense of apprehensive gripping hold of him. The Konoha teen just stood before Zaku as if he had not been attacked by the other. While watching the younger Genin warily, the Oto shinobi noticed something on the teen's face. At first, Zaku thought it was blood, but the flow was all wrong. _Wh-what... the...?!_ The Sound Nin narrowed his eyes for a moment before shuddering in revulsion at the realization of what was moving over the teen's face.

_B-BUGS?!_ Zaku shivered, _They're swarming out through his skin... from inside his body!_

Immediately the Oto snapped around when he heard the scurry sound of million little feet.

"Do you like my little friend?" Shino casually asked as he examined one of the bugs on his finger, "They're called Kikaichu - parasitic destruction beetles. They attack in swarms and devour the chakra of their prey."

Zaku snarled as he glared at the younger Genin.

"There's no way you'll survive an onslaught of this magnitude..." The young man plainly stated, "So... if you value your life, you'd better surrender. It's your only way out. Use your left-hand strike on me again... and they'll instantly be all over your unprotected back.

"Use your left-hand to strike against the Kikaichu swarm and your front will be open for my attack. You're finished either way. Unless, of course, you had the foresight to prepare a backup plan."

The Oto was seething in anger as he was consumed with a great sense of shame.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Zaku bellowed as he extended _both_ arms, "You wanna see a backup plan?! How about this?!"

The only evidence that Shino was surprised was the furrowing of his brows. While in the distance, the teen heard his teammate shout in outrage at the deception.

"Take this!" The Oto shouted before a thick silence engulfed the arena.

Then in a blink of an eye, the arena was painted in bright red as the Oto's left arm suffered from a deep laceration just below the elbow. His right arm, however, was cleanly severed just below the elbow.

The balcony echoed in surprise and shock at the sight below. Coming out of the severed limp, a swarm of the Kikaichu scurried about.

"Just now," Shino calmly spoke, "while I distracted you with all the helpful advice, my little friends were making their quiet way to key points upon your body... creeping down the tunnels you blast your gale winds through. And that, my friend, is a true backup plan."

"Y-you!" Zaku shrieked as pain, fear and shame consumed him.

Without hesitation, the quiet teen backhanded his defeated opponent, who dropped with no fanfare.

Immediately Hayate appeared then slowly stood and announced the fight finished.

~o.O.o~

Up in the balcony, Naruto watched the quiet teen with a thoughtful and yet unsettling expression.

"That explains the cicada-like sound to his Heart Song." The blonde mumbled beneath his breath. The petite Genin shot his ghostly companion a look, hoping that Shisui would explain where the bugs had come from since the apparition had indicated that Shino would win the fight.

_Konoha's legendary clan of Beetlemasters..._ The Uchiha began, _for anyone born into the clan, a symbiotic partnership is formed at the moment of birth. The Kikaichu uses the host as a nest and feed on the host's abundance of chakra, and in turn, the host can use the Kikaichu to fight their battles and bend the beetles to the host's will..._

Naruto shivered a bit at the thought of having bugs inside one's body.

"But why did his arms exploded?!" The blonde whispered as he watched the Aburame walk away from the arena.

_It looked like the Aburame directed the beetles to plug-up the exit holes in the Oto's hand. When the Oto tried to unleash his attack, the pressure built up inside his arm with nowhere to go, until... like a gun barrel when the path of a bullet is blocked, the Oto blew his own arm off._

"The winner is Aburame Shino!" Hayate announced, "So... uhhh... *koff* we're moving on to the next match."


	32. Chapter 32

_**~Scroll 31~**_

During the second match of the preliminaries...

Deep beneath the old catacombs of Konoha, Kakashi finished the last of the blood script of the Fujahoin, the Sealing of the Curse, on Sasuke's back.

"That's it!" The silvery-haired Nin mumbled as he fought through being light headed.

The teen just glared at his sensei as he sat in the middle of two circles drawn in the ground by ten kunai and nine lines of the blood script.

"Just a little longer and it'll be all done." The Jounin said while his hands moved in a series of hand seals before his right hand slammed down on the curse mark.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide as the pain exploded, nearly dragging him into the land of darkness.

"AAA-!" The animalistic whine escaped his lips as the power of the curse mark fought against the blood script and the familiar warmth that the teen easily associated with his blonde dobe.

"OWW!" The raven-haired teen moaned as he struggled against the pain.

Barely audible over the groan and moans, a sickening 'hiss' echoed as the Fujahoin blood scripts slipped over the youth's flesh and encased the curse mark.

"AGH!" Sasuke screamed as he felt the power of the curse mark being compressed and throbbed against the Fujahoin barrier.

"Ohh..." The Uchiha whispered as he slumped forward. His arms wobbled and strained to keep him up right.

"Hmm..." Kakashi breathed as he too felt the strain of nearly draining his chakra, "Even if the curse mark awakens again, the power of this Fujahoin spell should contain it. But... Sasuke...

"The foundation of the spell's power is in the strength of your own will." The silvery-haired Jounin cautioned, "You have to want it to work... and you must believe in your own power to control it. If you don't, the curse could have its way again!"

Sasuke then fainted from exhaustion and pain.

"So..." A cruel and cold voice cooed, causing Kakashi to flinch, "You've mastered the spells of sealing, Kakashi? ... looks like you're all grown up."

The silvery-haired Nin looked over his shoulder to have his worst fears confirmed.

"You..."

"It's been a long time..." Orochimaru remarked as he stepped out of the shadows and approached the Konoha shinobi.

Instinctively Kakashi placed himself between his student and the monster in front of him.

The pale faced Nin chuckled at the Jounin's actions.

"Pardon my rudeness, Kakashi, but..." The traitor said, "I have no use for you. I'm here about the boy behind you."

"What do you want with Sasuke...?" Kakashi attempted to stall.

He had told the ANBU, who were assigned to watch over the Uchiha after the sealing, to wait five minutes from the moment they no longer sensed either Kakashi's or the teen's chakra before coming into the room. If the Jounin can hold out for five more minutes, he knew that he and the ANBU together could chase the snake-fiend away.

"Oh, you know how it is..." Orochimaru smirked, "Two guys have something... and a third one's just got to get it, too!"

The Konoha shinobi cursed his exhaustion and the slight headache forming as he could not figure out the traitor's riddle with his foggy mind.

"You haven't had it for very long yourself, you know." The pale Nin teased, "Know what it is yet?"

Kakashi felt his left eye twitched beneath his hitae-ate.

"It's... the Sharingan!"

_Of course, it is..._ Kakashi thought, _Everyone wants those damned eyes._

"I must possess... Uchiha blood!"

"What for...?!" The Jounin stalled.

"... the newly created Village of Hiding in Sound - Otogakure... that is my home, you see..."

Both ninja knew that the snake was lying.

"Is it becoming clear?" Orochimaru teased.

"So it's your greed and delusions of grandeur." Kakashi replied.

"I suppose you could say that..." The traitor chuckled then sighed, "Good help is so hard to find these days, and I need all sorts of pawns at my disposal."

"So, you think that Sasuke is one of your pawns?" Kakashi questioned. The Jounin may not like the raven-haired brooder much, but the boy was his student, and Kakashi was prepared to protect his student.

"Oh," The snake spoke with barely contained lust, "he's a very special pawn... a real keeper...

"Unlike the boys who are going through the vigors of the process right now. Those boys... are disposable."

Kakashi lowered his stance and began to focus the last of his chakra reserves into his right hand. The ANBU were overdue, and the silvery-haired shinobi made a mental note to give his former colleagues a piece of his mind... if he survived.

"Stay away from Sasuke." His right hand glowed with electricity, "Even if you are one of _those_ three ninja, the man I am today can take you down!"

"Heh... heh he... hahahahaha!" Orochimaru cackled.

"What's so funny?"

"You say one thing and do another..."

"What?!" Kakashi gasped then mentally cursed himself when his Chidori disappeared as did the last of his reserves.

"The curse-binding spell you placed upon Sasuke was futile!" The snake confessed, "When a heart is sufficiently focused and ruthless in its desires then, for good or evil, will justify any means. Sasuke possesses just such a heart... the heart of an avenger."

"So that's how you got your hooks into him..." The Jounin accused, "But Sasuke's not -!"

"A day will come when he will seek me out..." Orochimaru interrupted, "hungry for power!

"Meanwhile..." The traitor trailed off, "I believe you were offering to kill me. Care to try? Or are you all talk?"

Kakashi instantly knew he was trapped in a Genjutsu, but with his chakra near to non-existence, he suffered through the illusion of being decapitated. Once the illusion had run its course, the Konoha Nin knew that Orochimaru was long gone. Calming his heart down, he looked down at the Uchiha heir. _Did I miscalculate?! What kind of fool am I?!_ He cursed himself as he left, barely giving the ANBU a second thought as they carted the unconscious teen away. Kakashi had other students that needed him, and he needed to see his blonde.

~o.O.o~

"So... uhh... *koff* we're moving on to the next match."

Naruto frowned when he heard his sensei's weak Heart Song. Turning around, a small gasp escaped pass the teen's lips when he saw the state his sensei was in.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura turned around to see their Jounin instructor, leaning against the wall and giving them a weak salute.

"Yo!" He greeted.

Immediately Naruto appeared beside the older shinobi's side.

"What do you mean 'Yo'?!" Sakura scolded while she noticed her otouto leaning against their sensei. Was it her imagination or was Kakashi-sensei also leaning into the blonde and looking a bit healthier than he had when he first arrived.

"Kakashi-sensei, tell us about Sasuke. Is he all right?!"

"He's fine..." The Jounin replied, "Sound asleep in the infirmary even as we speak."

Omitting the fact that the Uchiha teen was under armed guard.

"As you should be, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto chided but remained close to his sensei as he slowly fed a bit of his chakra into the older shinobi.

Suddenly the teen felt a gentle squeeze against his shoulder, looking up into Kakashi's dark eye.

"That's enough, my little one." The silvery-haired Nin quietly whispered.

Blue gems blinked at the term of endearment before the petite Genin began assaulting his lower lip in confusion.

The Jounin reached out and tenderly thumbed against the blonde's abused lip.

Kakashi knew that he was not normally a demonstrative man when it came to affections, but after his confrontation with Orochimaru... the retired ANBU had no delusions. He knew that if the snake truly wanted Sasuke at that moment, the traitor would have taken the teen by now, and the Jounin would have been dead... death did not concern the silvery-haired Nin, but the thought of never seeing his blonde again terrified Kakashi more.

"Kakashi-sensei...?" Naruto whispered in concern.

The older shinobi lightly smiled as he resolved to tell his young student of his feelings but only after the preliminaries.

"Save your strength for your fight." Kakashi instructed, "I want to see the both of you fight."

Before Naruto could say anything else, the message board signaled the next match.

TSURUGI MISUMI VS. KANKURO


End file.
